Interference Well Met
by Eleri McCleod
Summary: "Worth Fighting For" series Part 4. An unexpected attack from within threatens to destroy SG-1 as Faith and Jack struggle with the secrets of their professional lives. Faith/Jack
1. Part 1

TITLE: Interference Well Met

AUTHOR: Eleri McCleod

CONTACT INFO: elerimc (at symbol) gmail . com; http:/ elerimc . livejournal . com (remove spaces)

STATUS: complete, posted one part per week

CATEGORY: drama, romance

PAIRINGS: Faith/Jack

SPOILERS: BtVS none; SG-1 season 5

SEASON: BtVS post-Chosen; SG-1 season 5

SERIES/SEQUEL INFO: Part 4 of "Worth Fighting For" series; sequel to "And It Begins"

CONTENT LEVEL: T, 16+, FR16, take your pick

CONTENT WARNINGS: non-explicit sexual situations and sexuality

SUMMARY: An unexpected attack from within threatens to destroy SG-1 as Faith and Jack struggle with the secrets of their professional lives.

DISCLAIMER: Buffy the Vampire Slayer and its characters are the property of Joss Whedon and Mutant Enemy. Stargate SG-1 and its characters are the property of MGM, World Gekko Corp and Double Secret Productions. I'm just borrowing them for a little while and will return them unharmed. No copyright infringement is intended.

ARCHIVE: TtH, Jackfic, FF, LJ, any others please ask

AUTHOR'S NOTES: After two years of starts and stops, it's finally here. Thank you to everyone who's sent encouragement and more than a few pleas to keep this series going. Huge thanks also go to every single person who voted for Jack and Faith at the TtH awards this past year. You made our year. (vbg) Special thanks go to Lynette, my always superb beta. She's only been waiting forever to read the finished version and never once slapped me upside the head to get it done. Any remaining mistakes are purely mine as I tend to fiddle up until the last possible moment. (g) As always, any and all feedback is appreciated.

* * *

Interference Well Met

* * *

Part One

* * *

If she didn't think the damn thing would up and die on her, Faith Lehane would have given the old car a kick just to relieve a tiny bit of the tension digging merciless claws into her.

Instead, she opened the door with an exaggerated sense of calm and slid into the driver's seat. So much for her hopes of a good, sweaty patrol to clear her head and body. It had failed miserably. She'd known there was next to no activity in Colorado Springs before she'd even left the house, that there was no reason to go hunting, but she'd held out hope anyway. Jack had been gone for almost two weeks, their longest separation since their first date, and she hated it. She hated the growing tension and worry, hated the mandatory communication blackout, hated the uncertainty that crept up on her in the middle of the night when he wasn't lying next to her.

And he'd told her it might be as long as three weeks trapped in the Mountain without comms.

Hence the futile patrol.

Starting the engine with a little more energy than required, Faith reconciled herself to the fact the evening hadn't been a total loss. She now knew every thistle and thorn bush in the greater Colorado Springs area, attested by the new rips in her jeans and the lovely scratches on her arms. And the fact it got damn cold after the sun went down this high up in the mountains. If Jack's exercises kept him away too much longer she'd have to venture out of town just to find a good slaying. The vampires couldn't be that far away from Colorado Springs. She could probably find one or two an hour or so away. If she was lucky.

The drive back to the house was a quiet one. She left the radio off, too restless to listen to the inane chatter of a middle of the night talkshow host and knowing the incessant banging of drums would only make her feel worse. At least the traffic was nonexistent at two-thirty in the morning. She doubted she'd even be able to handle other drivers at the moment. Tomorrow she was hitting the gym early and staying until she bled out the twitchiness, or whatever the hell it was, making her so irritable. She'd learned long ago letting that feeling bottle up for too long was a recipe for badness.

But thoughts of gyms and patrols flew out of her mind the moment she made the turn onto Jack's street. There sitting in the drive was his gigantic truck, the one she loved to give him hell over. He'd claim it was for all of his gear, but she was pretty positive it was all about his inner child. And it provided an excellent excuse for him to help her get into it. Not that she minded the help at all.

She barely had her junk heap turned off before she was stepping out of the door. Not bothering to lock it because no thief in his right mind would take the thing, Faith was up the drive and through the front door before silence filled the street again. Her eyes immediately went toward the bedroom down the hall, but the small glow of lamp light coming from the living room got her attention. The heavy door clicked shut behind her and she threw the lock automatically. "Jack?"

He sat perfectly still on the couch, the dim light casting heavy shadows over his face, hands placed just so over his thighs. For a long moment, she froze, unsure of his uncharacteristic posture. Then the bleak look on his face sank in a split second before he looked up to meet her gaze. It was gone so fast she could have pretended she hadn't seen it, but the knife to her heart wouldn't let her. His eyes... They'd been empty, lost, as if life itself had ceased to have meaning. "Jack, what's wrong?" She didn't remember moving, just arriving to kneel and take his hands in hers. "Are you okay?"

His eyes filled with life as he wrapped his fingers tightly around hers. His face smoothed out, the bleak cast vanishing. "I'm fine. Now."

And suddenly it clicked. He'd told her the story once, the dark safety of their room creating a cocoon where only they existed. Years ago, before they'd met the first time, Jack had returned to an empty house after an extended assignment, his first wife, Sara, gone without a word. The unintended parallel disturbed her more than she wanted to admit. "I couldn't sleep," she said, forcing a smile to her lips. "I went for a drive, then a walk. I didn't think you'd be home so early or I'd have left a note."

"I missed you." He tugged her closer and she went willingly. His arms held her close, his face nestled into her neck where he breathed deep. "You have no idea how much I missed you."

"Oh, I think I have a pretty good clue." She felt him relax one heart beat at a time, his body loosening into her embrace. "I'm so glad you're home." And next time I'll leave a note, she added silently. You're not getting rid of me that easily, Jack O'Neill.

He pressed a lingering kiss to her neck and leaned back slightly. "I was about to chuck it all and just leave, but they finally called it." She didn't ask who he was referring to. There was no need. "If they'd kept me away one more day though..." His lips were warm on hers, comforting and easing the restlessness she'd been harboring the last week.

"I'm not about to argue over an early return." She cupped her hands around his neck, thumbs tracing along his jaw. "I was starting to give serious thought to breaking in and rescuing you myself. I don't like being cut off from you." With his presence seeping into her very bones, she realized exactly how true her words were. And it didn't frighten her in the least. A year ago, if anyone had dared to imply she would need someone as much as she needed Jack she would have beaten them into a bloody mess. Even five months ago she would have laughed at the concept. But that had been before Whistler and the Powers had thrown her into the future for a glimpse of what could be. She'd never been so happy to be wrong in her life.

"I have to tell you I'm not a fan of it either. But exercises don't normally run quite this long. Thank God." He kissed her again, lingering a little longer. Her body responded with a flare of heat and she gave into the wave of sensation with a contentedness she'd never believed could be real. "So what's this you were saying about not sleeping? Anything I could do to help you with that?"

She watched his eyes darken, felt warmth pool low in her body. "I've heard deep muscle massages are supposed to work wonders for insomnia. But you have to get really deep for it be effective."

"Really deep, huh?" His hands skimmed up her sides, leaving tingling trails behind. He cupped one breast, fingers working the magic she'd come to expect from his touch. "Exactly how deep we talking?" His other hand was busy working on her jeans, nimble fingers slipping inside to slide into her waiting heat. "This deep?"

She loved the way his voice dropped when they were together, the way it caressed her skin as if it were flesh. Dragging in a breath, she nipped biting little kisses along his jaw to his ear. His hands stroked easily, confidently over her and she shuddered lightly. "Oh, I'm afraid we're going to have to get a lot deeper. I've been sleeping horribly without you."

"Let me see what I can do about that, since it is my fault."

Faith knew she had a witty retort stored up somewhere, but it vanished under a wave of heady sensation and she gave up thinking at all. There would be time for that later.

* * *

"What, Daniel? You're going to burst a blood vessel." The other man had been sitting in Jack's office for a good ten minutes without getting down to his actual purpose. While Jack didn't mind the chance to chat with his friend, it wasn't a very good time for it. He was three days behind on a stack of reports and General George Hammond wasn't in the mood to wait another three. But it wasn't really Jack's fault SG-4 had decided they needed an emergency evac. Or that Teal'c needed help testing out their entire inventory of staff weapons. Really, it wasn't. "Spit it out already. I do have deadlines." Daniel glanced up briefly, meeting Jack's gaze for a short second before skittering away. His hands crushed yet another crease into the folder sitting on his lap while Jack tapped his pen against a finger. His friend was bound to remember the English language sometime. Although he did wonder every now and then how Daniel could keep it all straight with twenty-six of them floating around in his brain.

"There's, uh," Daniel started, voice uncharacteristically unsure as he stuttered to a halt. "I mean, we found… Crap." The muttered word was practically buried behind hands covering his face.

Eyebrows raising unconsciously, Jack felt a tingle of apprehension flood him. It was never good when Daniel couldn't find the words he needed. "Just say it. It's not going to get any better the longer you take, whatever it is." For once his friend took him at his word.

"What do you really know about Faith?"

"What?" He knew he'd heard Daniel correctly, but the question escaped before he could stop it. "What the hell does that mean?"

Daniel winced, the normal bright blue of his eyes hidden as he kept them trained on the folder Jack was sure he'd long ago forgotten. "You have to admit it looks a little odd. She's young, beautiful, appeared out of nowhere. Did I mention really young?"

Jack was too stunned to interrupt the river of words streaming from Daniel's mouth. But underneath the shock was a core of hurt, a seething mass of hurt that threatened to choke him. No, he decided abruptly. He wasn't stunned. He was offended, outraged. Deeply and truly offended for quite possibly the first time in his life. Struggling to keep his face neutral, he tried not to hear, tried to close his ears yet each word drilled into him like hot lead.

"We all know how much the NID would love to get their hooks into us, especially with the whole Arlen mess. And then Faith just happens to show up? Then there's her record." He paused to take a deep breath, still avoiding Jack's gaze. "We, uh, we were concerned, you know. And she's got a record, something the NID could use on her. Jack, she was in prison for quite a while."

"Stop." It wasn't loud, wasn't even particularly sharp, but the single word halted Daniel, leaving him with his mouth hanging open. Rage was threatening to overwhelm the hurt, to suck him down into a spiral there would be no return from. The unwavering courage of Faith's rooftop confession almost four months ago had never been highlighted more. She had bared her soul to him without a pause, trusting only in their short time together and the strength of her feelings for him. Daniel and his accusations were doing their damnedest to make a mockery of everything they'd shared, everything they already were to each other. Clenching his hands tight on his thighs, Jack kept perfectly still. It was the only way to keep from exploding. His voice was barely above a whisper, grating painfully as he forced himself not to shout. "Faith is not a spy for the NID. Do you think I'm stupid? Do you think all it takes is a pretty face to make me forget everything I've fought for most of my life?" Daniel seemed to shrink into himself with every carefully enunciated word. Standing slowly, Jack leaned over his desk, hands pressed into the chilled metal. "Yes, Faith is younger than me. Not that it's any of your business, but we've discussed the issue. At length. And let me tell you she's only younger in the chronological sense. She's seen more in her life than you can have nightmares about."

Daniel rose as well, the forgotten folder crinkling loudly in the silence between them. His face was screwed up into a frown, a hint of confusion hiding in the depths of his eyes, as if he couldn't fathom Jack's reaction. "Look, I'm sorry, but we were worried about you. That's all."

"Worried about me?" he repeated, derision dripping from every word. The hurt and anger leaked past the barrier he'd put up, clamoring for a target. "If you were so worried about me you'd have talked to me. Before you went off on some wild goose chase that not only invaded my personal life, but violated who the hell knows how many privacy laws. Yeah, I can see the concern from where I stand."

"Jack, she was tried as an adult due to the nature of the crimes. It's all a matter of public record." If Daniel meant to pacify him with a reasonable tone and flawless argument, he failed.

Moving quickly around the small desk and toward the door, he shoved his hands into his pockets. They couldn't reach out and do violence trapped there. "Semantics, Daniel. That's all you're talking. At least I know where we stand now." Before the other man could stop him, Jack had the door open and was two steps into the corridor. Abruptly he turned back into his office, staring across the distance at the friend who'd just cut him deeper than any enemy ever had. "FYI, I already knew about her record and her time in prison. Faith told me herself, even showed me the trial records so I wouldn't think she was hiding anything." From the look on his face, Daniel still wasn't grasping exactly what he'd just done. And Jack was fairly certain it had been all Daniel, not the 'they' he professed. Carter would never presume to stick her nose where it wasn't appropriate and Teal'c would have approached him straight out. Hell, Teal'c would have gone straight to Faith and handled it one on one. Jack continued before Daniel could dig himself in any deeper, though there was little room left to go. "Like I said, I'm not stupid. I have a few contacts of my own, ways to get information if I wanted or needed. So thanks for all the concern, friend," he managed to make it an ugly word without forethought, "but it was unnecessary. The next time you want to throw stones at someone, think about all the extra chances people gave you when you'd made a mistake. At least I know where we stand now."

He left the door standing wide open as he walked away from his own office, his so-called friend staring after him.

* * *

cont.


	2. Part 2

** See Part 1 for full disclaimers and story details

PART 2 NOTES: Thank you all for the wonderful comments and continued interest in this series. I didn't realize until after posting that it was three days short of exactly two years since I released "And It Begins." Wow, are you dear readers patient! Enjoy Part 2! Hugs and thanks go to Lynette, the master beta. She keeps me honest and makes every story better for her attention. Any remaining mistakes are purely mine as I tend to fiddle up until the last possible moment. (g) As always, any and all feedback is appreciated.

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Part Two

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The uncharacteristic slamming of the front door was the first clue Jack was in a mood fit to be tied. The second was the fierce thump as each booted foot hit the floor. And the third? The just barely audible, snapped out bits of incomprehensible sentences Faith only heard with Slayer ears.

"Think I'm an idiot? An old fool ... bothered to take care ... damn him and his..."

The quiet tirade faded as Jack moved down the hall toward the bedroom. Setting the hand towel down on the counter, Faith sent a speculative glance toward the kitchen entry. It was rare for Jack not to find her for a welcome kiss if she happened to be in the house when he arrived home. Two more thumps from the bedroom made the decision for her.

She paused in the bedroom doorway, eyebrows shooting upward at the sight that greeted her. Jack had his shirt and pants off, where they seemed to have been crumpled into wads and hurled across the length of the bed. One boot lay at her feet, the other sat on its side against the half opened bathroom door. "You okay?" she asked, keeping her tone purposefully neutral. It wasn't like Jack to throw his clothes throughout his bedroom. The man was inordinately neat and tidy by both nature and training.

Without facing her, he dug through a drawer, hands making a mess of the once organized clothes. "Did you know you're a spy for a secret branch of the government? That you seduced me only for the information I can give you? Because apparently I'm too old and decrepit to possibly attract a woman as young and gorgeous as you."

Ah, that. She'd wondered how long it would take for someone to brave Jack's wrath and bring up their age difference. She was only surprised it had taken this long. Quickly crossing the short distance, she took his hands in hers and turned him to face her, ignoring when he tugged against her pull. "Jack, we knew this would happen. Is it really so much of a surprise?" The bit she hadn't anticipated was that she'd be the calm one in the discussion.

"I guess not." The words were calm, the tone was anything but. "I just didn't expect it to come from Daniel."

The words slapped into her with the force of a fist and her body reared back, away from the threat instinctively. "Daniel?" But he was their friend. He played board games and came over to the house for movie night and teased her about her ability to out eat Teal'c. All the things friends did to one another. Yet a friend would have said something long before this. Wouldn't he? A hard lump formed in her chest, forcing her to breathe slow and deep. It was a sensation she'd rarely felt before and one she'd never thought to feel again, not with Jack and his team in her life. Obviously she'd been wrong. "What did he say?"

"He went digging around and pulled up your record, thought someone was blackmailing you into a relationship with me. You know, sink the hooks in then weasel information out of me."

"Jack, it's okay. We know the truth. What anyone else thinks doesn't-"

"The hell it doesn't!"

Okay, he was more than pissed. She let him yank his hands away and prowl to the other side of the room dressed only in his boxers. And because she knew him, much better than he could have ever realized, she tucked her hands in her back pockets to keep from reaching for him and asked, "You argued with him then? Gave him a chance to see he had nothing to worry about?" If she hadn't been looking for it, the small flutter of guilt would have been missed entirely. He didn't answer her, however, merely stepped into the bathroom. The sound of water against tile and glass effectively cut off any more discussion.

She stared after him, torn between following and letting him work it out on his own. She hadn't asked the questions out of any loyalty to Daniel, but out of love for Jack. His friendship with the archaeologist was long, complicated and very important to him. The stories Jack had told her made that more than clear to her without coming right out and saying anything. She did not want to be a sticking point between them, but she wasn't going to just stand aside and let Daniel ruin what they had.

An uncomfortable tug pulled at her insides and she rubbed the spot low in her chest. She drew in a deep breath and forced it out harshly. It made no difference to her if Daniel disapproved of her or her relationship with Jack. Only Jack's opinion mattered. She sent one final glance toward the bathroom and the steam already curling out of it. No, it would be better to leave it alone and give Jack a little time to calm down. She picked up his discarded clothes, put his boots in their usual place and left the room. It was only as she turned into the kitchen did she realize tears had crept down her cheeks.

* * *

The water was almost bruising in its force as he stood under the heavy spray, head bowed, hands splayed on the wet tile.

God damn Daniel anyway. Who did he think he was? Jack's mother? Hell, even his mom wouldn't have sideswiped him this way. Wouldn't have reduced Faith to a mere tool, someone to be used and valued only for the information she could extract.

With his eyes closed all he could see was her face, blanched with hurt before that mask of calm acceptance had taken over. That actually hurt worse than Daniel's betrayal. Faith had blossomed in the months they'd been together. While confident in what she wanted when they met, her belief of her lack of personal value had shaken him to his core. What little she'd revealed about her family had only emphasized Jack's anger toward them. The only people Faith had ever spoken of with any positive regularity were a set of friends who now lived in Cleveland.

SG-1's acceptance of her over the past couple of months had seemed genuine, warm, and Faith had taken to them like a duck to water. Jack could only hope Daniel's stupidity wouldn't destroy what Faith was building with the other two members of his team.

Well, hiding in here is really helping, isn't it, Jack? The voice wasn't little and it certainly wasn't quiet. More like a ringing bell, it had his hands reaching for the knobs so quickly his old drill instructor would have sobbed in pride. Less than three minutes had him walking into the kitchen where Faith was standing at the sink, her figure carefully still. Not waiting to see if she'd turn around, he crossed the short distance and enfolded her in his arms. She shuddered slightly then leaned back into him, hands coming up to rest on his arms.

"I'm sorry." He whispered against her hair, inhaling the fragrance that was underneath her shampoo, that unique scent that said simply Faith. "I'm sorry Daniel had to go and stick his nose where it's not wanted. I'm sorry I took it out on you."

"It's okay." The small catch in her voice nearly took him to his knees. His wonderfully strong, kick-ass Faith was crying.

Turning her in his arms, he pressed his lips to hers in a soft kiss. "No, it's not okay." He touched his forehead to hers, hands soothing up and down her back. "Nothing about it's okay, but we'll make it better." After returning the smile he knew she'd forced out just for his sake, he kissed her again, mouth lingering. When she responded, almost tentatively as if she thought he believed a word of the crap Daniel shoveled at him, he tugged her closer, pressed his body up against hers. If he could reassure her in no other way than physically, then that's what he'd do. Her tongue fluttered over his lips leaving fire in their wake. Gentleness disappeared with a growl as heat flared low, tightening his body in a rush. Their tongues mated, warm, wet flesh imitating a far more intimate act.

With a gasping breath, Jack pulled away from the kiss, senses heightened to a fever pitch. God, was it always going to be like this between them?

"I certainly hope so," Faith answered, the awful hurt muted in her brown eyes but still present.

"Was that my outside voice?" Feeling a flush creep up his neck, Jack couldn't help but smile as another touch of darkness left her eyes at the question. He'd embarrass himself for a year if it would banish that look forever. "I guess it never has been a secret how much you affect me."

"You're not the only one here, grumpy," she replied, her own voice not quite steady.

He kissed her again, unable to stop himself and not even wanting to try. He felt a smile tease her lips up against the press of his mouth and the last vestiges of anger melted back to wait for the true target. "So what have you got ready to eat, woman?"

Snorting inelegantly, Faith smacked him on the butt and left the circle of his arms. "For that I'm thinking you can make your own dinner. This is all mine."

Absurdly pleased she was teasing him out of his meal, he followed her as she made her way to the cabinet. He had no illusions that the repercussions from Daniel's attack were over, but it was unnecessary to dwell on them. He'd give Faith some room to process things on her own. She'd tell him if and when she was ready to talk about it. Just then, all Jack wanted was a boring evening alone with his Faith. "But I worked all day. I'm hungry."

She shot a withering look over her shoulder, taking a single plate down from the cupboard. "So did I. No chance."

Heat filled him once again at the look. Damn, but he was a goner when a glare could make him react. Food was suddenly the last thing on his mind. Before Faith could leave the counter, he set one hand to either side, trapping her between them. He leaned in against her back, feeling her shiver all the way down to his toes. Shifting her hair out of the way, he murmured in her ear, "You sure I can't persuade you?" He bit back a groan when she pressed back into him, his body responding as urgently as the first time he'd held her up on his rooftop.

"There is a slim possibility I could be convinced to share." It was barely above a whisper and stroked over him as did the hand she ran down his thigh.

Bending slightly lower, he ran his lips lightly down the column of her neck, letting his chin push the thick fall of her hair aside. He set his teeth gently into the side of her throat with a growing sense of anticipation. It was one of his favorite spots, the sweetly responsive flesh now burning hot between his lips. And she responded as beautifully as the first time he'd discovered it, her knees buckling as she moaned out his name.

Gathering her tight against his chest, awe filled him. He didn't care what Daniel thought he'd found. Faith was his and he wasn't letting go. Jack lifted her easily with one arm beneath her knees, the other curled around her back. "Well, since I don't feel like cooking, I'd better be damn persuasive."

Dinner was stone cold by the time they got around to eating.

* * *

cont.


	3. Part 3

** See Part 1 for full disclaimers and story details

PART 3 NOTES: Thanks as always go out to the readers who sent such lovely comments. Enjoy Part 3. Grilled cheese on toast go to Lynette for her initial reaction to this particular scene. It was everything I could have hoped for, even after she was done with it. Any remaining mistakes are purely mine as I tend to fiddle up until the last possible moment. (g) As always, any and all feedback is appreciated.

* * *

Part Three

* * *

Jack had only been gone for half an hour when the doorbell rang. A broad smile lifted Faith's lips and a warm tingle curled deep within her. Their late dinner had been everything she'd needed to be reassured Jack hadn't believed a word out of Daniel's mouth. Jack had struck just the right tone between lightly playful and teasingly erotic to keep her mind on them and not the suddenly tense situation outside of the house. She wasn't sure she'd done as good a job as Jack in playing along, but she'd given it her all. Apparently, Jack wasn't done yet. He'd promised her mint chocolate chip ice cream with a wink and smile, grabbed his keys and headed out. There was something about her opening the door to his house that never failed to please him. She didn't get it, but she figured she didn't have to. It made Jack happy, so she did it.

"That was a quick ice cream run, wasn't-" Her voice died as quickly as her smile when she saw it wasn't Jack on the doorstep, sheepish grin firmly in place.

"Hi, Faith." Daniel's hands were tucked into his jeans pockets, a hopeful expression firmly planted on his face.

"Daniel." It was all the greeting she could force out as his accusations rang fresh once again in her mind, all of Jack's hard work gone in the turn of a handle. Shifting his weight from one foot to the other, he gave the impression of a see-saw, only without the seats and handles. Oh, and the fun. Faith couldn't leave out the fun.

He met her gaze solidly, blue eyes shining behind the glasses. "Can I come in? I need to talk to you."

"Jack's not here."

"I figured that since I didn't see the truck. I'll talk to him later. Please."

After a few searching moments, she stepped aside and gestured him in. "Sure." With a nonchalance she didn't feel, she walked into the living room, leaving him to trail behind. She sank down into her favorite chair and pierced him with as even a look as she could. "So talk."

He sat slowly on the couch, hands clasped between his knees. "I'll assume Jack told you what I said, what conclusions I came to."

Since he didn't pull any punches she decided to return the favor. "Yeah, he did. Some friend you are."

He flinched as the barb struck home, but didn't back down. "Jack is my friend, Faith. Probably the best friend I've ever had. It wasn't easy digging around for dirt on you and it was even harder telling him what I'd found."

Her only response was a single raised eyebrow. If it truly had been that hard he wouldn't have done it. But Daniel continued, either immune to her skepticism or ignoring it.

"Jack's been through some of the lower levels of hell in his life. And until he introduced you to us, I honestly thought he was still in love with Sara. Then you kept seeing each other." He leaned forward slightly, keeping his gaze locked with hers. "If it had been a short fling I never would have gotten a funny feeling about it. But Jack seemed to really start thinking seriously about you."

"A funny feeling?" she parroted, half tempted to toss him out right then and there. For Jack's sake and the years that stood between them, she squashed the urge. "So after four months you decide to be a dick, invade my privacy and accuse me of espionage all on a funny feeling? Great way to keep friends there, Daniel. Did it never occur to you to just talk to Jack?"

"If I didn't find anything I didn't want him to know about it."

As a form of explanation, Daniel was failing to make her any less angry. If anything, Faith was becoming even more offended with each word. "Either make your point or leave. I'm not really interested in getting ripped apart today." Struggling to keep her expression blank, she forced her hands to relax in her lap. She'd killed people for lesser insults in the past. But she'd grown past that, with Jack's help. As much as she would enjoy beating the crap out of the man, he really wasn't worth it.

Sighing quietly, he rose to his feet and paced a few steps away before turning back to her. "You need to understand something, Faith. Jack is a highly placed military officer with a classified job. More than one attempt to gather information has already been stopped. You're half his age. It doesn't take a genius to connect those ideas."

"Because of course I couldn't possibly just be attracted to him, right? There's no way that could actually be the truth." Somehow only a bare trace of the fury she held back in a death grip leaked into her voice. Points for her.

"Faith, you've got to look at it from an outsider's perspective. You're young, beautiful. You have your whole life ahead of you. Jack's not an obvious choice."

"And maybe I don't give a damn about our age difference!" This time the heat was a full-fledged roar, filling every word. Pushing to her feet she matched his stance, hands clenched at her sides. "As a matter of fact, I don't give a damn what anyone thinks. They can kiss my ass and leave us the hell alone. I'm happy with Jack. He's happy with me. Everyone else can just step out of our lives." The pause was as deliberate as the words themselves. "Including you."

"But you have to admit it looks suspicious," he insisted, not bowing under her furious words. "Anyone Jack is involved with automatically becomes either a target or a possible leak. There's no other way to say it."

"So now I'm not just a spy, I'm a weak one."

He let out a frustrated grunt and ran his hands through his short hair. "Quit twisting everything I say."

"Then quit saying stupid things." A tiny smirk twisted her lips even as her gut spasmed sharply in protest. She'd thought Daniel was a friend, someone she could trust. She honestly didn't know which hurt more, the accusations themselves or that they'd come from him.

"I'm obviously not expressing myself clearly," Daniel said, coloring instantly at her snort. "Let me start over, please. Jack is my friend. I was worried about him. He hasn't been seriously involved with anyone since his divorce. The deeper he became involved with you the worse you could hurt him. I just wanted to be sure there wasn't anything we should have known before you destroyed him when it all falls apart."

She didn't even bother responding to his assumption. 'When' not 'if.' The sanctimonious ass. Without a word, she turned and stalked to the door. Her hand was on the knob when it turned by itself and suddenly Jack, coldly furious, stood in the doorway.

He pushed past her with only a hand brushing her arm as acknowledgment. Two steps down into the living room had him facing a clearly startled Daniel. "Leave. Now. You're no longer welcome here."

"Jack, I came out here to-"

"I don't care," he interrupted, voice cold and cutting. "Out." He turned, one hand extended to Faith. And just like that Daniel didn't exist for him anymore. If her chest wasn't so tight with hurt and anger, she might have felt the tiniest bit of pity for man. As it was, all she could do was step forward and take Jack's rock steady hand. Daniel spoke, she knew he did, but she didn't hear a word of it. Then he was gone, the quiet click of the closing door the only sign he'd even been there.

"You okay?" Jack's quiet question broke the uncomfortable silence, his hand a heated weight in hers.

Since there was no point in denying her unsettled state, she didn't even try. She took the two small steps separating them and hid her face in his chest. Strong arms encompassed her, clutching tight across her back. The ball of rage collapsed, disintegrating in the waves of warmth flooding into her as his hands stroked over and over her spine. "I'm sorry." It slipped out, the words almost lost in his shirt.

"What for? You didn't do anything wrong."

"Maybe not, but I am the cause of this particular fight." She leaned back slightly, chest growing looser with every breath. "I never wanted to come between you and your friends."

Instantly, Jack's hands came up to grip her face, fingers just short of bruising on her flesh. "You didn't come between anything. Daniel did that all by himself."

"But-"

"No buts. End of discussion." His tone gave no room for argument so Faith let it drop for the time being. She herself was still too ticked at the man to press the issue. "Let me get the ice cream before it melts all over my truck." With a soft kiss to her forehead he was back out the door.

Faith stared after him in the silence, the last bits of anger dying out, replaced with the warmth of Jack's steadfast belief in her.

But it wasn't supposed to be this way, she thought, moving numbly toward the kitchen. It was all supposed to be better, right, this time. Wasn't it? Her short glimpse of the future had certainly seemed to present it that way. But what if she'd already changed the future? Changed it so much she'd never see that version of it? That Daniel hadn't been suspicious of her, hadn't forced Jack into a corner. Or had he?

The slamming of the front door gave her a welcome reprieve from the circular thoughts filling her brain. The future was going to have to handle itself. She had better things to think about in the present. "In the kitchen, babe. I'm ready for that ice cream."

* * *

"I think I screwed up."

Teal'c was not startled by Daniel Jackson's voice, although he held back a smile at Maj. Carter's small jump. She, apparently, had not heard his approach. "Of what do you speak, Daniel Jackson?" he asked, grateful now for his many years of study of Earth's colloquialisms. Most had no logical frame of reference and in fact meant the opposite of the true definition of the word or phrase. 'Screwed,' however, had needed no explanation the first time he heard it.

"Daniel, you didn't," Maj. Carter said, voice and face a matching expression of dismay.

Teal'c looked from one member of his team to the other. It was obvious he was missing an important piece of the conversation. Instead of repeating himself, he leaned forward ever so slightly, one eyebrow speaking for him.

Face a pale facsimile to its normal healthy tan, Daniel Jackson nodded without meeting their eyes. "I had to, Sam. I couldn't take the chance he didn't know. He's done so much for us over the years. I just," he paused, uncharacteristically at a loss for words. "I had to."

"We talked about this. I thought we'd decided it was a bad idea. I knew I shouldn't have shown you that program."

The last was clearly a comment for herself, but Teal'c heard it easily. He was, however, no closer to comprehension than he had been when he first asked. He could only assume Daniel Jackson was referring to O'Neill, but farther than that he needed an explanation and he was tired of waiting. "Daniel Jackson, what did you do?" After a short moment, the other man explained, a slightly defiant glint in his gaze as he met Teal'c's. A strange sinking feeling filled his gut as the repercussions of Daniel Jackson's actions whirled through his brain. O'Neill would not have taken it well. "Your unsolicited interference was unwise, Daniel Jackson."

The glint melted a little at the quietly reprimanding tone, but didn't disappear. He spread his hands out to either side. "But she was hiding something from us. I talked to both Jack and Faith the night before last. Then he threw me out of his house. Wouldn't even let me explain."

"That's bad." Maj. Carter's succinct summary said it all.

"How am I supposed to make him see why I did it if he won't even talk to me?"

"I do not believe that is the primary concern, Daniel Jackson. What you discovered about Faith Lehane was a private matter between O'Neill and herself. If she had wished for us to know, she would have spoken."

"She may still be hiding something. Sam, that search engine you have isn't as all encompassing as you think."

Teal'c met Maj. Carter's gaze and recognized in the depths of her blue eyes the same sinking feeling he had. Their friend and team mate was a genius in matters of language and interplanetary politics. However when it came to those closest to him, his desire to protect could override his sense of proper decorum. This was clearly one of those occasions. Teal'c did not like being the one to say what they both were thinking, but it needed to be out in the open. "You should not have revealed what you discovered. It was not your place." He held up a staying hand when the other man made a motion to speak. "I have no doubts Faith Lehane has told O'Neill everything of which he needs to be aware. She would not jeopardize his standing with the SGC or with Gen. Hammond. Nor would she jeopardize her standing with O'Neill."

Eyes sliding closed behind his glasses, Daniel Jackson's face took on the cast of someone who struggled long and hard with an issue only to find the answer was right before his nose. "I didn't think of it that way. Oh, God."

"Exactly," Maj. Carter said, voice hinting at the impatience Teal'c could see just beneath the surface. "Have you tried to talk with him this afternoon?"

"He's been in meetings all day. End of the year stuff that can't be put off."

"Then you will have to make an opportunity if his friendship is something you value." It was cold to put it in such a way, but the man's actions had warranted a knock to the head. Teal'c could not condone his choice, yet he could only hope it would not have a detrimental affect on SG-1.

The three stared at one another, the silence almost a physical presence surrounding them.

"I really screwed up, didn't I?"

There was nothing Teal'c could say in response this time.

* * *

cont.


	4. Part 4

** See Part 1 for full disclaimers and story details

PART 4 NOTES: To the great readers who sent so many wonderful thoughts and conjectures for Part 3-y'all rock! They were great to see, even if you didn't quite agree with me. That's one of the things that makes fanfiction so much fun! (vbg) Cheers and hugs go to Lynette, my awesome beta. She nearly shot me when I left her hanging with only a portion of this section. So sorry, my dear! Any remaining mistakes are purely mine as I tend to fiddle up until the last possible moment. (g) As always, any and all feedback is appreciated.

* * *

Part Four

* * *

The night was chilly, their breaths small puffs of moisture in the clear air. Jack leaned back against the low wall, hands tucked into his pockets for warmth, and watched Faith quietly. Her fascination with the stars had matched his the instant she'd looked through the telescope, a new world opened to her starving mind. He'd brought her up to the roof despite the chilly weather with the hope it would ease some of the pain she was holding onto. One week after the disaster with Daniel and she was still hurting. He would bet a good deal of his paycheck she'd say nothing was bothering her, but he knew her better than that. There was a skittishness about her he hadn't felt since their first date and every now and then he'd catch her staring off into the distance as if her brain were running a million thoughts a second. Once again he damned Daniel for sticking his nose where it had no business being. The man was a born busybody, but there were some lines a man should never cross. Daniel was truly lucky Faith hadn't left him over it. He didn't know what he would have done to the other man if she had. Now, he watched as she carefully twisted a knob, adjusting the focus slightly, and his chest ached with the simple joy of her presence.

"Marry me."

If he hadn't been so surprised himself, he would have laughed at the way she snapped around to look at him. He hadn't consciously thought about the concept. The two of them had never even come close to talking about it. They lived in the same house, though she still maintained a lease for her apartment. He couldn't remember the last time either of them had even been to the place. Most of her small wardrobe had already moved in and she didn't own any furniture of her own. So where the thought came from he wasn't sure, but once the words were out he didn't wish them unspoken.

She stared at him across the short distance, eyes wide, face grown pale. "Are you serious?"

Not quite the reaction he was hoping for, but her expression was almost worth the sudden thumping of his heart. "Yeah. I'm sure."

"Why? Why do you want to marry me?"

"Well, you already live here anyway. Why not?"

"Jack, stop joking around. Why?" She stepped toward him, telescope forgotten.

He met her halfway, one hand reaching to cup her jaw, the other sliding down her arm to clasp her hand. His fingers curled around her neck, tilting her face up. For a long breath he could say nothing, momentarily stunned by her moonlit features. "Because I'm happy, for the first time in longer than I care to remember. Because I can't see a future without you next to me anymore." Despite the pounding of his heart, he was perfectly calm. This was what he wanted. He had no doubt in his mind. "Marry me."

"I would love to marry you, Jack."

The carefully worded response sent a worm of uneasiness to wind its way into his chest. He wasn't sure what he thought she'd say, but that wasn't it. "That wasn't yes."

A smile that was in no way happy took over her face. "There are some things I need to tell you about my past before I can answer yes. Things you need to know." She swallowed visibly, her hand actually trembling where it rested against his chest. "If you don't want to hear them, we can just go on like we are. I'm okay like we are."

The fragile hope in her voice, the shine of her eyes in the moonlight, they swamped him, somehow keeping anger and suspicion away. The little worm wasn't doubt, he realized. It was nerves. While at the same time it wasn't even that. In the back of his mind he knew he should be upset, worried even, but he trusted Faith, trusted in their feelings. If she had things she needed to say, he would listen. And then he would get the answer he wanted. "I've got nothing but time."

This time the smile was relieved as she stretched up to kiss him. "Thank you." He wasn't quite sure what she was thanking him for, but he didn't interrupt. Stepping back, Faith squeezed his arm once then stepped back to settle against the wall, drawing him with her. "It all started long before humans roamed the Earth..."

Jack listened in silence, the chill of the night forgotten, equally stunned and fascinated by the story she wove around him. Demons, monsters, vampires, slayers, the stuff of nightmares and fairy tales. She spoke of each with a factual, straightforward tone, no hesitation or stuttering. And even though he'd had no indication in the four months he'd known her that she'd experienced such out of the world things, he believed her. After years of battling alien parasites on far distant planets, it wasn't too far a stretch to wrap his brain around horrors more close to home. He was actually a little surprised he hadn't heard of anything before this, _The National Enquirer_ excepted.

The moon had crossed half of the night sky before she was finished, the incredible destruction of a whole town by a supernatural phenomenon somehow easier to accept than the story Jack had read in the newspaper. He stared across the short distance to where she sat waiting, face anxious. "So you're a slayer?" She nodded once, sharp and stiff. "Stronger, faster than a normal human? Harder to hurt?" At each question another one of those stilted nods. "And all those years ago when we first met, you were running from something."

"Yes. A very old vampire who killed my Watcher in front of me." Her hands were cold in his, held carefully still. "He followed me to Sunnydale. He didn't kill another Watcher." It was as if she were daring him to shrink from her, to turn from her in disgust or disbelief.

Taking a careful moment, he searched deep inside for any change in his feelings. Nothing she'd said made a material difference to what really mattered. So she was more than human. Well, so was one of his most trusted allies. So she'd held a large part of her back from him. Wasn't he doing the same with her? The uneasiness he'd felt when she'd started her story evaporated completely, leaving only a confidence he had no wish to question. "So are you going to marry me or what?"

"Really?"

If it hadn't sounded more like a plea than a question he would have laughed. As it was, all he could do was squeeze her hands, absurdly happy the only thing standing between them was an Earthly boogeyman. She'd truly thought he'd change his mind after learning the whole story. Her surprise only reinforced his decision. Nodding, he felt his heart stutter just a little at her uncertainty. "How long are you going to leave me hanging here?"

"Yes! God, yes!" She was in his arms even as he registered her words. She gripped him so tightly he heard a rib creak in protest. Ignoring the slight discomfort, he wrapped her close and breathed in her scent. She kissed his neck, a warm touch to combat the night, then whispered once more, "Yes, Jack O'Neill, I will marry you."

Satisfaction filled him, warming every cell as much as her body pressed against him did. He threaded his fingers into her hair and kissed her, sinking himself into the heady sensation. Tomorrow he could deal with vampires, Stargates and Daniel. Tonight? Tonight he wanted nothing but his fiancee.

* * *

"Enter."

Wiping his moist palm down his leg, Jack stepped into the office, his other hand shutting the door gently behind him. Hammond's eyebrows raised in response, but he didn't say anything, merely waited for Jack to cross the room.

He had gone over exactly what he should say, how he'd phrase the request, roughly a hundred times since his proposal last Saturday night. He'd used all of the remaining time of his well deserved Christmas leave to work on it. Suddenly it didn't seem like enough practice. "Sir, I, uh..." And his throat simply stopped working. A small shudder traced its way down his legs. What the hell was he doing thinking he could get away with a request this insane? He'd pulled some wild stunts in his time, but this one had to rule for audacity alone.

"Colonel, is everything all right?" A faint smile covered Hammond's face. Clearly he was having a trouble free morning. Jack hated to ruin it, but since he was in the office already...

Just get it out and let the questions get started, he ordered himself, not quite going to attention before the desk. "Sir, Faith and I are getting married."

The smile instantly doubled in size as he stood, rounding the desk with a couple of quick strides. "Congratulations, Jack. I'm happy for both of you."

"Thank you, sir," he responded automatically, taking the outstretched hand. The general had taken an instant liking to Faith when he'd met her a little over a month ago. Jack hadn't been able to pin down exactly why. There was nothing in particular he could see to draw them together, but it was there nonetheless. He was about to shamelessly use that knowledge for all he was worth. Unfortunately, he simply didn't know how to start except to just say it.

"Everything's all right, isn't it, Colonel?"

"I want Faith to have need to know clearance."

"Colonel, you know how this works-"

He didn't let Hammond get any farther. "Every time I walk through that gate we both know there's a very good possibility I won't come back. I watched Sara go through hell every time I went out and that was here on Earth. I can't do that to Faith. I won't. If something does happen to me, she deserves to know the truth." Jack watched objections and reminders build up behind Hammond's eyes, each already an argument he'd fought with himself. The secrets of whys and wherefores didn't matter anymore-this was too important to back down.

Leaning back against his desk, Hammond held his gaze, face filled with a compassionate understanding. "I know why you want this and in a lot of ways I agree. But I can't request clearance for someone with a justification of 'because she's engaged to one of my officers.' You know that as well as I do."

"Then hire her as a civilian consultant, like Daniel. She's a martial arts and self-defense instructor. Tell me we can't use some new blood down here to shake up the marines."

Hammond's lips pursed slightly, one hand coming up to rub over his jaw in an uncharacteristic display of uneasiness. "We have excellent hand-to-hand instructors assigned here already, Colonel."

"Not like Faith, we don't. Let me bring her down, set up a sparring session with Teal'c. I guarantee you'll be impressed." His stomach twisting itself into knots, he tried to keep his expression as non-confrontational as possible. Hammond's face didn't change, the small frown creasing his forehead and wrinkling between his eyebrows. Jack hadn't allowed himself to think of failure over the weekend. He'd focused on his reasons and the knowledge that he couldn't fail. "General, I have given everything I have for this world and never asked for anything in return." He straightened imperceptibly, hands fisting unconsciously at his sides. "I'm asking now."

When Hammond sighed and dropped his gaze, Jack knew he'd gotten through the importance of his request. "Bring her in tomorrow. If Teal'c can add his endorsement-" he held one hand up, a finger pointed toward the ceiling, "-I said 'if,' Colonel-with Teal'c's endorsement I'll forward a request for a position and clearance for her."

"She won't disappoint, General. Trust me." He felt a grin split his face, the tension leaking from his gut in an almost painful rush.

"It's not me she has to impress, Colonel, it's Teal'c." Moving back around the desk, Hammond sank down into his chair. "Anything else, Colonel?" At the shake of Jack's head, the general tugged a blue folder from the top of a small stack off to one side of his desk and used it to gesture toward the door. "Then get out of my office. I have work to do." The smile took the sting from the words as Jack crossed the room.

One hand on the knob, he turned back and caught Hammond's eye. "General? Thank you." Without waiting for acknowledgment this time, Jack opened the door and stepped through. A smile tinged with a slightly sadistic overtone lifted his lips. Poor Teal'c. He had no idea what Jack had just volunteered him for.

* * *

cont.


	5. Part 5

** See Part 1 for full disclaimers and story details

PART 5 NOTES: To all of the anonymous reviewers (especially jen, SGO, Spirit Speaker and GiMo) who sent awesome reviews over the past few weeks, thank you very much! I'm just sorry I can't send you my personal, individualized thanks. This will have to suffice: Thank you, thank you, thank you! I hope each and every one of you enjoy this part as much as I did writing it. It's one of the most asked for scenes out of the series and I hope I did it justice. (vbg) Massive thanks and fresh coffee go to Lynette, beta extraordinaire. Her own little sadistic streak showed up here as well. So blame it all on her! Yeah, that's what happened. Any remaining mistakes are purely mine as I tend to fiddle up until the last possible moment. (g) As always, any and all feedback is appreciated.

* * *

Part Five

* * *

"You're sure this is fine?"

It was the fifth time she'd asked since they'd left the house. In other circumstances Jack would have found her mini-panic attack adorable, right then it only added to the nervousness jumping in his gut. He grasped her shoulders, turning her to face him. "It's what you wear to work, isn't it?" She nodded once, quickly. "Then it's fine here. You and T are just going to spar, not ballroom dance."

A snort of laughter escaped her lips at the comparison, bringing a smile to his face. "I'm sorry, Jack. I'm just a little nervous. Secret military installations and slayers don't have the best of histories together."

Jack tucked that begging question away for the time being and tugged her a little closer. "Just act like you belong in there and everything will be fine." He dropped a light kiss onto her lips and ignored her muttered, "Yeah, right." Grinning, he took her hand and led her toward the first interior checkpoint. Jack flashed his ID and Faith's visitor pass at the guard who verified their names on his list before letting them pass. Jack approved the guard's thoroughness. Just because he recognized the colonel didn't always mean he was still on the access roster.

Faith was quiet as they made their way ever deeper into the Mountain. After the third checkpoint and the second elevator, she finally turned to Jack, a grudgingly impressed look on her face. "Now I understand why we had to leave so early. You go through this every morning?"

"Entry and exit," he said, stepping into the corridor on level twenty. Glancing down at her slightly pale face, he couldn't stop a laugh. "Don't worry. We'll let you out of here. You're not trapped."

Her eyes flew to his at the teasing comment, but instead of the uneasiness he expected to see there, a darkness filled her eyes. It was the same darkness he'd seen often when he'd first met her. He'd thought it was gone for good. "I'm not worried about being trapped. It's just the last time I was this far underground," she trailed off, her eyes leaving his for the relative safety of the grey walls. "The last time I was underground a lot of good people died."

His chest constricted at her carefully neutral tone. The average person listening to her would think Faith was heartless to be able to speak in such an uncaring voice about people dying. Jack was not the average person. He recognized the tone all too well. It was the one that said 'I've seen too many horrible things in my life and you'll never know a quarter of them so keep your pity and your judgment to yourself.' Jack hadn't perfected that sound until he was quite a bit older than Faith was now. So he said nothing, merely tightened his grip on her hand and led her down the corridor.

By the time they reached the small gym Jack had reserved, Faith had lost a touch of her stiffness, her body moving easier next to him. He pushed the door open and gestured her in first. Her smile at the tiny courtesy sent a tingle of reaction down his spine. After allowing himself a moment to enjoy it, he set it aside and checked the room. Teal'c was already present at the far side of the mats, a selection of weaponry orderly arranged near his feet. The mats took up nearly the entirety of the floor space, the remaining equipment stacked into one corner.

"Jack, you didn't tell me we'd have toys today," Faith said as she kicked off her shoes and strode across the mats.

"I didn't want to spoil the surprise," he replied, deadpan. Teal'c glanced in his direction briefly before returning to his stretching. Out of the corner of his eye he caught the door opening and Gen. Hammond's entrance. "Good morning, sir."

"Colonel. Teal'c. How are you, Faith?" Hammond asked, taking up a piece of wall beside Jack.

"Ready to kick Teal'c's butt around a bit, General," she said, not even pretending to keep her smile in check.

"Is that so?" Jack could have sworn that was an answering grin on Hammond's face, but if it was he hid it well. "Whenever you're ready to begin, Teal'c. I'll let you direct the sequence of events."

"As you wish, Gen. Hammond." The Jaffa turned to Faith and greeted her with one of his half bows. "Are you familiar with staffs, Faith Lehane?"

"I've used them once or twice," she said, taking the weapon Teal'c held out to her. Jack watched as she hefted the smooth length of wood, gauging its weight and reach with a practiced eye. Somehow he had the feeling 'once or twice' was about to take on a whole new meaning. If he didn't think he was going to enjoy this so much, he might even feel a little sorry for Teal'c. Anticipation won out.

Faith set the four foot staff on the mat and pulled off her sweatshirt, leaving her in a t-shirt and form-fitting workout pants. Grinning just a little, Jack now understood Faith's repeated questioning of her clothes. Apparently she had been around the military a little bit. No red blooded male, even a disciplined airman, was going to pass up the opportunity to appreciate a gift like Faith walking by.

"Colonel," Hammond said quietly as Faith performed a quick stretch of her back and shoulders. "I hope you're not exaggerating her abilities. I don't want to see Faith hurt."

"Neither do I, General. That's why she's here." Meeting Hammond's sharp look evenly, Jack said no more. Faith would do her own proving.

Teal'c stepped onto the mat, staff held comfortably in one hand. "Whenever you are prepared, Faith Lehane."

"Let's get this show started. Rules?"

"Staffs only. No kicks, no punches."

Agreeing with a single nod, Faith brought her staff up in front of her face perpendicular to the ground and gave a formal bow. For some reason Jack was surprised by the ceremonial gesture. If Hammond's sudden straightening was any indication, he was as well. With a raised eyebrow, Teal'c returned the bow, the gesture differing only slightly.

Both immediately dropped into a crouch, staves held across their bodies. Circling one another slowly, the two combatants couldn't have looked any less likely to be a match in skill. If Jack hadn't already had his ass neatly handed to him, more than a few times, he'd have snatched that staff from Faith's hands in a heartbeat. Teal'c was positively gigantic against Faith's petite frame.

And then they moved in a blur of speed.

Teal'c lunged forward, staff whipping in with a quick snap of his wrist. Catching the staff on hers with a loud crack, Faith stepped aside and neatly turned the blow away. She twisted her staff to bring the other end up toward Teal'c's face, causing him to jerk back out of her reach. Jack watched a tiny smile lift the corners of Teal'c's lips and settled a little more comfortably against the wall, prepared to enjoy himself.

The next few minutes were an almost constant blur of motion and the sharp clacking of staffs. Jack watched, completely enthralled as they danced around one another, blows that should have broken bones turned aside time and time again.

Finally, long after Jack stopped being amazed by the deadly graceful performance, Faith stepped back and lowered her staff, the universal sign in sparring for a break. Except instead of the rest he thought she was asking for, a disappointed expression came over her face. "Why are you holding back?"

Hammond stiffened beside him as Jack's jaw just about scraped the floor. Holding back? Where'd she get that idea?

"How did you come to such a conclusion?" Teal'c's voice was steady, but Jack could hear the faintest hint of curiosity hiding underneath.

The curling of her lips was the farthest thing from a smile Jack had ever seen on her face. "Let's just say I know what the real deal feels like. And that wasn't it. Want to try again?"

Teal'c lowered his head briefly, eyes never leaving hers. "Then let us dispense with needless weapons."

"Let's."

Despite his own experience with Faith's abilities, the display he'd just witnessed and the predatory gleam in her eyes, Jack was two steps onto the mat before her staff bounced next to Teal'c's. This was his fiancee Teal'c was about to put his hands on. Every protective instinct Jack possessed clamored for him to get between Faith and the threat, no matter that she could protect herself. A heavy hand on his arm stopped his forward momentum. Unthinking, he gripped the hand to rip it off.

"Jack. Calm down," Hammond said steadily, either not caring about or ignoring the blatant threat in Jack's eyes. "This is what we're here for."

The studiously calm tone settled him as a shout or reprimand would never have done. Meeting Hammond's gaze, he nodded, forcing his body to relax. "Sorry, sir. Natural reaction."

"It's all right, Colonel. Why don't we let them finish this? I think I've seen enough."

With a deep breath, Jack let the last of his tension melt away and set his back to the wall again. He caught Faith's worried look and sent a smile and a nod in her direction. She'd obviously seen their exchange. Well, he wasn't going to apologize to her for wanting to keep her safe. Faith seemed to get his message and smiled in return.

Taking advantage of her distraction, Teal'c struck. His fist flew through the air, aimed for her head, which was suddenly no longer there. Stepping under his arm, she added her strength to his momentum, sending him off balance. A quick swipe with her right leg put him on one knee. With an expression somewhere between shock and admiration, Teal'c climbed back to his feet.

"You're going to have to be faster than that," Faith said, satisfaction dripping from each word.

The next five minutes were ones Jack would remember until the day he died. Over the years he'd seen Teal'c fight Bra'tac and a host of other Jaffa, he'd fought the man himself. But he'd never truly appreciated exactly how good Teal'c was until that morning watching him and Faith try to put each other on the ground. He also got his first glimpse of what being a slayer really meant.

Though Faith had never seen Teal'c fight before, and while his style had some similarities to many of Earth's formal schools, it was Jaffa pure and simple. She seemed to have an instinctive knowledge of what he was going to do and where each movement would put him. Jack counted six different styles, from karate to straight up street fighting to some things he didn't recognize at all. The two flowed around one another, each unable to get the advantage of the other. Sweat beaded on Teal'c's face, chest and back. Strands of Faith's hair clung to her face and neck, wisps escaping from her ponytail to float around her head. Teal'c unleashed a series of blows designed to force the opponent into a retreat and off balance. Faith did retreat, but she didn't go off balance. Bending back unbelievably far beneath Teal'c's assault, she suddenly dropped to the mat, her legs scissoring into Teal'c's knees. He went down hard, unprepared for the maneuver. Like a big cat after downed prey, she was on his back before he'd even settled. One arm went under his throat, the other twisted his right arm back up behind him. Even from where he stood, Jack could see the strain on Teal'c's muscled shoulder from the awkward position. Attempting to throw her off, Teal'c bucked up only to halt instantly when her arm tightened around his neck.

"Do you yield?" she said, panting around each word.

Not one to give up easily, Teal'c didn't answer verbally. His left arm reached back for her head, fingers searching for any hand hold. Tucking her face into his right shoulder away from the questing hand, she maintained her hold on his neck, the fingers of her other hand going white from the pressure on his wrist.

"Yield. I can put you out right now, Teal'c. You know it and I know it."

Jesus. That was a sound he'd only ever heard in the middle of a life and death struggle. For all he'd listened to her explanation, for all his belief in her and her abilities, the magnitude of what she'd been through over the years hadn't clicked inside him. Those few words snapped the last piece in place. Faith hadn't been running around playing Xena Warrior Princess with some buddies-she'd been fighting for her life against unbelievable enemies to rival the Goa'uld.

And Jack had never loved her more.

Another tense few seconds passed until Teal'c relaxed against her grip. "I yield."

Instantly, Faith released him and climbed to her feet. "Teal'c, that was the best match I've had in a long time." After what he'd just seen, Jack took no offense at the comment. He knew he was good, very good, but he knew he wasn't that good.

"Indeed. Faith Lehane, you are a formidable opponent. It is an honor to have one such as you as a friend." He bowed low, the top of his head almost pointing straight down.

Jack's chest tightened at the gesture as Faith froze, her face going pale beneath the rosy glow from their exertions. Knowing what he did of Faith's past, Teal'c's formal acknowledgment struck all the harder. Their eyes met briefly before Teal'c straightened.

"Thank you, Teal'c." If Faith's voice wasn't its normal confident sound Jack would never tell her. Suddenly, she stepped forward and wrapped her arms around Teal'c, her fingers digging into his back. After only the smallest of surprised pauses, he returned the pressure, his arms completely encircling her back. Jack felt no jealousy at seeing Faith in another man's arms. Not at this moment and never with this man.

Faith stepped back hurriedly, as if afraid someone would laugh at her for a hug, and swiped a hand over her face to push the tendrils of escaped hair out of her eyes. "Well, Gen. Hammond, do you have any questions for me?"

Moving onto the mat, Hammond shook his head. "I think that display said it all. Col. O'Neill has all the paperwork you need to fill out. Remember, this doesn't guarantee access to anything except the upper levels of the facility and the training rooms. But I for one hope that'll change in the future. I believe you'll be a valuable asset to the program." A smirk flitted across his face before settling into a grin Jack knew all too well. "I may just come up to observe your first session with SG-3. What do you think, Colonel?"

Knowing what the marine rescue team would initially think when they saw Faith, his own grin stepped up a notch. "Oh, I wouldn't miss that for anything, sir."

"Why?" Faith asked, looking from one grin to the other. "Who's SG-3?"

Crossing the mat to grab her sweatshirt, Jack couldn't seem to wipe the smile off his face. "You'll see. Trust me. You'll enjoy it."

Her expression doubtful, she accepted the sweatshirt and followed the others to the door and her shoes. "I think I'll reserve judgment on that one."

He didn't comment, simply took her elbow and followed Teal'c and Hammond out of the door. Anticipation filled his gut. Even though it might be months, Jack couldn't wait to return her confidence and trust and tell her the truth about what he did every day when he left her. Now that was going to be a day to remember.

* * *

cont.


	6. Part 6

** See Part 1 for full disclaimers and story details

PART 6 NOTES: I'll be traveling the next couple of days, but wanted to get this out before I left. Feedback response will be a few days behind, but I promise I'll catch up once I'm off the plane. Thank you, everyone, for the continued love for this couple. It really does make my day! (vbg) Super in person hugs go to Lynette, the beta extraordinaire. Any time I can make her say "aww" it's a keeper. Any remaining mistakes are purely mine as I tend to fiddle up until the last possible moment. (g) As always, any and all feedback is appreciated.

* * *

Part Six

* * *

Deep brown liquid made a mesmerizing line as it flowed into the carafe, holding Jack's eyes riveted. It was rare for Faith to sleep in this late, even rarer for her to remain in bed after he got up even with his habitually early mornings. He planned to enjoy the unexpected gift and surprise her with coffee and a rose. He wondered briefly if she was getting sick, but shook it off quickly. Her slayer constitution kept her from coming down with anything more detrimental than a sneeze. It should have pissed him off, yet it didn't. He was perfectly okay with nothing bad touching Faith, even if it was simply a cold.

Still watching the coffee, he would never have known someone stood behind him if he hadn't felt the eyes on his back. Long years of experience had forced him to acknowledge his skin crawling over his spine wasn't just his imagination. He'd heard ants move across the floor with more noise. Damn slayers were quiet when they wanted to be. "Morning, Buffy."

"Morning, Jack." She didn't sound any more surprised than he did. He heard the quiet scrape of a chair as she pulled one out and sat down.

He tugged the carafe out and poured two mugs, letting the coffee reservoir fill with water. Taking out the fake, overly sweet creamer Buffy inexplicably liked and the small sugar pot, he set those on the table. He brought the mugs over as well then sat opposite the woman, smiling as she immediately reached for the creamer.

After everything he'd heard about the infamous Buffy Summers, a diminutive blonde with knockout green eyes had been the last thing he'd expected to meet yesterday afternoon. Faith wasn't built on a particularly large scale, but she wasn't tiny either. So for some reason he'd thought other slayers would be of a relatively similar stature. Stupid thought, that. Watching Buffy across the table as she breathed in the scent of sweetened coffee, her eyes closed in sensual enjoyment, he reminded himself that looks could not be trusted. "Did you sleep well?"

"Pretty good. I've always been able to adjust to new surroundings quickly." She took a sip of coffee, winced then added another generous stream of thick white creamer as well as a teaspoonful of sugar. "Better."

Jack lifted his own unpolluted coffee and drank a careful sip. A burned tongue wasn't on his agenda for the day. "I was wondering when you were going to show up here. Actually, I expected to see you sooner."

She didn't flinch away from his gaze, merely held it with eyes far too old for her age. "I had to clear up some things before I could leave. Every time I got rid of a baddie another would float to the top."

"Funny how that works," he said, completely deadpan. It did seem to work out that way, but to be discussing it with a woman who looked like she'd be more comfortable in a night club than in a cemetery was more than a little disconcerting. He knew Faith would never compromise the Stargate or the SGC once she was cleared to know about it, but he did know she'd have to tell her friend something about what he did, what she was doing working for the military. There wasn't a lot of good history there. It was going to be a fine line they'd work out together.

"You know it." She took one more swallow then set her mug aside. Face leeching of its early morning humor, she leaned forward over the table. "I know you love her. I also know she told you about her, about us. I know you know she can bend you in half without breaking a sweat."

His lips teased up at the corners, hands curving around his mug. "Is this where you tell me she'll hurt me if I do anything stupid?"

"No. Here's where I tell you she'll never get the opportunity because I'll erase you myself if you ever hurt her."

His blood froze in his veins, his flesh shivering in waves for a brief moment. Apophis himself had never managed to scare the holy bejesus out of him as this tiny slip of a woman just had. The false god had used torture and intimidation. All she'd used was words and a look. If only she could bottle it she would make millions. But the short moment passed in less than a blink. Between one heartbeat and the next there was no fear, no need for threats. Because hurting Faith? It simply wasn't going to happen. He was doing all of it to protect her. "Understood."

"No, Jack, I don't think you do."

"No, really. Death and dismemberment. That was pretty clear." He didn't mean to be flip, but there it was anyway. Call it his instinctive response to threats or just being an ornery bastard. Either was a good bet.

She sighed, eyes easing closed as she lifted the coffee slowly to her lips. Her mug clinked quietly when she brought it back to the table. "I mean about Faith. You have more power over her than anyone I've ever known. She can't protect herself from you anymore."

"And you think that's only one-sided? Buffy, that's the way it's supposed to be." His insides tingled at the thought, heat and remembered passion flooding him. For all her old eyes and things to clear up, he still knew more about life than she did. "Loving someone is to be vulnerable, open to the other person in a way that scares the hell out of you. But you do it anyway because you hope they'll protect you, keep you safe."

The light of recognition filled her eyes, followed quickly by a shadow of pain. Maybe she did know a bit more than he'd thought. "I haven't seen much evidence of it working out like that."

"Neither have I, but I haven't given up yet."

"I smell coffee. Please tell me you two didn't drink it all?"

"Of course we didn't." His lips curved up into a broad grin. "I like my limbs exactly where they are." He saw Buffy twitch out of the corner of his eye but didn't look over. There was no need for Faith to know about their conversation. She must have caught the undercurrent because her eyes flicked between her friend to her fiance. Jack stood, hoping to head her off before she could speak. "Have a seat. I'll get you some."

"Morning, B," Faith said, slipping into her normal chair. "Sleep good?"

"Yeah. But not as good as you apparently."

"It's all the clean air here." She smiled her thanks up at him as Jack set a mug in front of her.

Sitting once again, Jack listened quietly as the two women bantered back and forth. There was a lot he didn't understand, references he'd have to ask Faith about later. But at the moment he was content to watch Faith interact with her friend, her guard down and her face filled with life.

"Why would she do that? Willow must have been pissed. How many pieces did she leave it in?"

"Oh, it was still in one piece." A glint entered her eyes, one Jack would have run away from if it had been directed at him. "Just one very tiny piece."

Jack knew he was missing the most important part of what a krobrakken was when Faith coughed up her coffee, her mug clanging against the table to spill brown liquid along its surface. He eyed her quizzically, but she simply shook her head mouthing 'later' at him. The brush-off didn't bother him. If she said she'd tell him later she would.

He left them to their laughter and got up to refill his mug, blissfully free of sugary creamer. He managed one sip before his cell rang, an actual ring and not the hyped up music most people were using lately. "O'Neill."

"Sir, this is Sgt. Harriman. I'm sorry to disturb you on a weekend but we have a situation."

Eyes closing involuntarily, he sucked in a deep breath through his nose. "I'll be there, Walter. Carter?"

"Already on her way, sir."

"See you in a few." He flipped the phone closed with a snap. It would do no good to get upset at Walter. The poor man was simply the messenger. But if this was another 'situation' caused by the numbskulls in R&D all bets were off.

He felt her presence a split second before her hand on his arm. "You have to go in."

"I have to go in." Meeting her gaze, he ran a hand over her cheek. "I don't know when I'll be back. I'm sorry."

She smiled, soft and warm, and he wished R&D a personalized trip to Netu. "It's okay. I have B to keep me company. I wanted some alone time with her anyway."

"I'll bet. I know what women get up to without any men-folk around."

"Then you should be scared right about now."

His smile grew despite the interrupted day. "That is a fact." He kissed her quickly then headed for the doorway. A hand connecting with his backside spun him around to meet laughing eyes. "I'll get you for that later."

"I'm counting on it."

The sound of the ladies' laughter followed him down the hallway before fading away. His day, maybe his entire weekend, might be ruined, but at least Faith's wasn't.

* * *

Running her fingers absently over the smooth surface of her still warm coffee mug, Buffy watched her friend. Faith's face was glowing, her eyes sparkling, her mouth curved upward in a smile Buffy doubted she was even aware of. If she hadn't seen it herself she wouldn't have believed Faith was capable of such a blatant display of happiness.

"He really does make you happy."

The smile faded as Faith turned back to her. "Yeah, he does, B. I never would have put us together, but we work. And I love him."

"It's obvious he feels the same." She left it there, waiting to see if Faith wanted to elaborate. When she didn't, merely shifted in her seat and took another drink of her coffee, Buffy grabbed the reins and ran with it. "Why'd you tell him about the slayer, about us? You said there was nonexistent activity here."

"I couldn't lie to him, B. He's a good man and when he said he wanted to marry me I wanted him to know the real me. I wanted him to want to marry the real me." She stumbled to a halt, obviously uneasy trying to explain her feelings to her friend.

Buffy sympathized with her, but didn't stop her. It gave her hope. If Faith could find someone to accept her, slayer and all, then maybe, just maybe someone out there could be the same for her. "How'd you even meet? You weren't heavy on the explanations when you left a few months ago." Faith stilled, her tapping fingers coming to rest on the sides of her mug. She lifted her eyes to meet Buffy's, the dark brown analyzing in a way that was very different than she'd seen before from her friend. She wished she knew what Faith was looking for.

"We met the first time on my way out to Sunnydale from Boston. Just an hour or so. He bought me dinner." Her lips curved upward into a soft smile of remembrance, lightening the serious mood a notch. "The second time, well for me anyway, was all thanks to the Powers That Be." Buffy's eyebrows raised at the deliberately emphasized title. She didn't need to ask. Faith went on without any prodding. "They fiddled with time, sent me into the future for a week. We were already married, happy. They showed me what I could have, what we could have together. Then they sent me back. I started making plans to move the next day."

"Why? What could they gain by doing that? Messing with time isn't something they do lightly."

Faith snorted out a laugh, her head shaking in disbelief. "A reward, if you can swallow that one. A thanks for putting up with everything they'd done to us over the years. Apparently it wasn't all just for their amusement."

It all suddenly made a weird kind of sense. Crazy as it sounded, Buffy had no doubts about a word of her friend's story. The Powers That Be had their own loose idea of what should and shouldn't be messed with. What was strictly forbidden to others, they played with like Lincoln Logs. At the time, she'd thought Faith had lost her mind, but had let her leave all the same. If she wanted out, Buffy would be the last one to stop her. Faith had given more than enough over the years. She was due some rest.

Buffy still remembered the night clearly. It had been a difficult hunt. The racgang had torn up a baseball team's worth of people before they'd managed to track it down. And after? Covered in blood, demon grime and sewer stench, Faith had simply walked away. Without a word and without looking back. Just gone. She'd wondered if she'd ever see her friend again. The next morning Faith had been a different person. Energized, her mood of the evening before vanished. She'd also had an air of contentedness, of completeness Buffy had never seen in her friend before. That intangible something was what let her wave Faith off with a good luck present and not a swift kick in the ass. That same sense of completion spilled out of her now as she stared across the width of the table into Buffy's eyes. "Why didn't you say something then? I would have understood."

Faith's shoulders eased the tiniest bit. Buffy wondered if she'd even known they'd tensed up. "I was too scared. What if I screwed everything up? What if I did something to make him hate me?"

She reached across the table to grip Faith's hand in hers. "Jack couldn't hate you if you blew up his entire Simpson's collection." She laughed right along with her friend but never lost focus. "Seriously. He loves you, Faith. Soul deep. You know what he did when I threatened him if he hurt you?"

"You didn't. I'm a little old for the big sister slayer approach don't you think?"

"No. I don't. But it didn't matter. He just sat there staring at me as if I'd just suggested he blow up that same Simpson's collection, as if even the concept of letting you down was incomprehensible. Never mind actually hurting you." She didn't need words to interpret Faith's expression. Her glowing face, soft smile and shining eyes said everything for her. "He may just turn out to be good enough for you. As long as you believe he's worth giving everything up for."

A smile covered Faith's face, one Buffy couldn't interpret, and her eyes took on a subtly unfocused cast. "No, Buffy. He's worth living for."

* * *

cont.


	7. Part 7

** See Part 1 for full disclaimers and story details

PART 7 NOTES: Happy Easter, everyone! Once again, thank you to all of the anonymous reviewers. I only wish I could send individualized messages. I appreciate you reading and taking the time to let me know you liked it. (vbg) Steaming hot coffee and crumpet toast go to Lynette, beta extraordinaire. Without her, you'd have a hard time reading this. Any remaining mistakes are purely mine as I tend to fiddle up until the last possible moment. (g) As always, any and all feedback is appreciated.

* * *

Part Seven

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It wasn't until hours later when the light bulb went off, sending Faith scrambling to find a single slip of abused paper buried deep in the recess of the desk Jack had hauled into his office for her to use. She found piles of lint, eighty-two cents and a shirt she'd long ago given up as lost before she stood back up in triumph, the little scrap held securely in one hand. On it was scrawled seven names, a date and location underneath each one. She scanned the limited information, heart sinking when she came to the third name on the list. Underneath it was today's date. The date Sharon Montgomery was going to die by vampire attack if Faith couldn't stop it.

"Crap."

Turning so fast her hair slapped across her cheeks to send stinging little trails over her skin, she yelled up the stairs before her, "B! Grab your jacket and Mr. Pointy. Now." She didn't bother to ask if her fellow slayer had brought her stake. Experience had taught them both to never be without one, even when all logic said they were perfectly safe.

"What's going on?" Buffy already had one arm through the sleeve of her coat and Mr. Pointy tucked securely into her jeans. "I thought you said this town was a dead zone for vamps."

"I did. Except for these dates." She shoved the piece of paper at her friend and yanked her own jacket from its hanger. "During my little trip into the future, when I was still completely freaked out, I dug around and found these names. Every one of them sounded like vamp attacks according to the news reports." Hustling Buffy out the door in front of her, she closed and locked it quickly. "Willow thought there was something keeping all the baddies out and she was right. Something where Jack works emits some kind of electric field. The vamps don't like it. I confirmed it with one of them."

B didn't need to ask how she'd gotten the information. She'd performed enough interrogations of her own to get the picture. "So I take it this field is down?"

Throwing her wheezing car into reverse, Faith sent the car down the driveway and onto the dusk covered street. "Yep. Jack's call? It had to be a power thing. He didn't tell me because I never explained it to him. I was so relieved when he took the whole slayer thing in stride I just forgot. Stupid, Faith."

"Stop that." She hadn't heard Buffy sound so stern since the last time a new slayer jacked up a first time outing. "You've had a lot of life changes thrown at you the last few months. You're due a couple of slips. We're on it now. This Sharon person had better appreciate your efforts."

"Yes, ma'am." Even though the other woman was only a few months older than her, every now and then Faith felt like they were years apart. Buffy had always had a better sense of self than she had. She'd always chalked it up to the differences in their families and friends and let it go, but maybe there was something else, something about her additional years as a slayer that Faith had never quite managed to grasp. Then again, the guilt stemming from her walk on the bad side probably had more to do with any of it than she wanted to acknowledge.

"So where are we headed?"

Trust B to bring her back to the situation at hand. "Bancroft Park. It's some little community shindig. You'd think after years of people getting attacked in parks after dark they'd get the point and stop wandering around at night."

Buffy chuckled, waving a hand in the air. "Yes, but then who would we have to save? The squirrels just aren't as appreciative."

She joined B's laughter, but didn't really feel it. If she'd only talked with Jack earlier, told him about Willow's theory, she and Buffy could have already scoped out the park and its surrounding area. She could only hope they weren't too late. And I'm talking to Jack as soon as we get this cleared up, she promised herself. Jack had been so understanding in the future, she had no doubt he'd be just as reasonable in the present, especially now he'd heard the truth from her own lips.

Making the final turn leading to the park, Faith slowed, eyes scanning the smallish area. There were only a few places for a vampire to hide in and she said as much to Buffy. Although admittedly, vamps didn't need much more than a shadow to conceal them. Their speed and strength made anything else overkill. "But why way out here? There has to be a better place for a meal. I mean, it's sort of close to the edge of town."

"You're right," Buffy said, all levity vanished from her face and tone as she took in the short distance to the main road they'd just turned off of. "It doesn't make sense."

The silence in the car was tense as Faith drove them all the way around the park. At one end there was one of those stage things with an overhead covering she couldn't be bothered to remember the name for. The other held restrooms and shaded picnic areas. Between the two were wide expanses of white spotted winter brown grass and cement trails for walkers that wanted to keep Mother Nature to herself. "Maybe she uses the park as a short cut."

"She probably lives in that neighborhood," Buffy said, pointing to the groups of houses they'd just passed on their way back toward West Colorado St. "Let's find a place to park."

Faith found an open spot on the opposite side of the street and tucked the car into it. Parallel parking still wasn't one of her better skills, especially with snow lingering from their last storm on the ground, but she managed to get in between the two yuppy mobiles without denting anything. She'd have to remember to tell Jack later. He'd get a kick out of her success. After quickly checking her cell for any messages from him, she silenced it. Even the hard to hear vibrate setting was too much around a vampire. Buffy had learned that one the hard way years ago. "You want to split up? Each take a side?"

"Yeah. I'll give a shout if I find them."

"Same here. Hey, B," she called, feeling more than seeing the other woman's expectant gaze in the growing darkness. "Let's get him alive. Find answers to some of those questions we have."

A flash of teeth gave her agreement before she spoke. "You got it. Save some for me." And then she was gone, feet barely making a sound.

Faith stared after her friend for a long moment, a sudden feeling of nostalgia coming over her. She'd missed Buffy. She'd missed her life, her vitality, her never-ending confidence. She missed all of her friends back in Cleveland. Maybe Jack could take a long weekend and they could head east for a short visit. It'd be good for both of them to get away. Jack in particular. He hadn't said anything, yet she was certain the tension between him and Daniel was an ongoing thing. Jack was too much a professional to let it affect his work, but that didn't mean it wasn't giving a negative vibe to the team.

She shook off the introspection and tugged out her stake, shivering as the cold air stole under her jacket to bite at her skin. That was one thing she hadn't missed when she'd left Massachusetts for California-the winters. Sunnydale winters were warm spring days in Boston. Her blood had definitely thinned out during her years in the Banana Belt.

One thing the cold, clear air did do, however, was amplify sound. She heard the stealthy crunch of snow over ice and trained her eyes in its direction. It took a long moment to find him, but once she did he was impossible to miss, at least to slayer eyes. He stood tucked away in the shadows of the rear of the stage structure. The lights on the sidewalk and in the park itself did little to illuminate that particular area. Faith had to admit he'd chosen his hiding spot well. Although why he'd chosen this park out of all the others in the city she couldn't begin to guess. The vampire was well over six feet, his frame holding a solid bulk that must have been truly impressive when he'd been respirating. He hadn't caught sight of her yet, which surprised her to no end even though she was approaching from behind him. Vamps were usually much more attentive to their surroundings. Then the quick crunch of feet hurrying home through the cold pulled her attention.

Sharon Montgomery-and Faith had no doubt it was she-was tall, lithe and huddled into a coat so thick Faith was surprised the woman could even move. Wispy blonde hair peeked out of a bright blue knit cap and a matching scarf fluttered out behind her she was walking so fast. Far too fast to be paying attention to her surroundings. No wonder she'd become vampire chow the first time around.

Shaking her head at the complacency of people, Faith tightened her grip on her stake and stepped closer to the vampire. He was practically salivating as he watched Sharon hurry into the park. Waiting for the other woman to round the corner out of sight was tougher than she remembered it being. It really had been a while since she'd been on the hunt. Thankfully, she had years of training and patrols to fall back on. Instinct and experience both shouted at the same instant. The vamp made his move, but she was already there, stopping him before he made it two feet in Sharon's direction.

She grabbed his arm with her left hand, spinning him around into the path of her swinging right fist. The crack of her hand against his face seemed loud to her ears, but Sharon never once turned from her single-minded pursuit of the warmth of her house on the other side of the park. Faith put the ignorant woman out of her head and concentrated on her opponent. She and Buffy needed answers not a pile of dust. With a sigh, she reversed the stake in her hand to use as a bludgeon. Before she finished the move the vampire was on her.

He was fast, even by vamp standards, his fists flying in a blur of speed. Two blows got past her defense, sending her stumbling out of the shadows and rolling onto the concrete path. A dull throbbing started low along the bottom right side of her rib cage and she pushed it to the side. She came to her feet in a spin, heel extended to smack into his jaw in the same place she'd hit earlier. His howl of rage filled the night air and shook in her bones. Well, there was no point in calling for Buffy anymore. She'd be there in moments after that little display. Faith got two more well-placed punches in and forced him back toward the edge of the stage, each foot gained drawing her smile ever wider.

Then her left boot hit a slick patch of ice and she tottered uneasily for a split second. It was all the hesitation Too Tall needed. He gripped one flailing arm and yanked hard, throwing her in the direction of the stage. She had a moment to register the concrete edge rushing for her face and twisted her head at the last instant. She slammed into the stage with all the grace of a rag doll, pain exploding from the left side of her face, and bounced off into the fluff of snow at its base. Stars sparkled in her vision, blotting out the view of the vampire's approach but she could still hear him. She struggled to her feet, using the short wall of the stage to help her stabilize her equilibrium. Just as she blinked the first of the spots out of her eyes she felt the push of air in front of his fist.

Dropping back to the ground blindly she avoided the worst of the blow, but it still rattled her aching head. She scissored her legs around his and yanked, toppling him into the snow with her. "Didn't your mother teach you never to hit a woman?" After adding a kick to his abdomen since it was within easy reach, she rolled to her knees, head continuing to spin once she'd stopped. "It's not nice."

"You're no woman," he growled at her, face hideously distorted with the telltale signs of the demon residing within the host body. "You're a slayer."

"Got it in one. Now what do you want? A gold star?" Since he was all about giving her a minute to recover from her meeting with the stage, she wasn't about to rush him. He wasn't going anywhere before she and Buffy got her answers. Nausea started roiling in her gut and Too Tall suddenly had a twin dancing around him he hadn't had before. Damn, she must have hit the stage hard enough to give a normal human a concussion. It took one hell of a blow to manage that. Thankfully she only had to keep him occupied for another minute. B would take things well in hand until she could see straight again.

He snarled at her, a dribble of blood trickling from a cut on his cheek. "Very funny. I'll take your blood instead."

"You and what army? The one I can't see?" Tired cliches could be forgiven when concussed. She was sure there was a rule out there somewhere. The soft crunch of snow underneath a boot reached her ears over the ringing. Too Tall tensed at the sound and she couldn't hold back a smile even when it pulled at her abused jaw. "Because I know I brought mine."

He whirled, but it was too late. Buffy was already on the move and she had a look about her that said she was pissed. Faith allowed herself to relax against the support of the stage for a long moment before pushing carefully to her feet. It had been a long time since she'd taken a hit like that one. Damn ice. The knowledge that simple physics and the weather had ganged up on her helped her push the pain aside. She knew it would come back to bite her later, but at the moment she had an interrogation to handle.

"How you doing over there, Faith?"

"You know me, B. I'm always five by five." She felt a grin lift her lips at the old phrase and the nausea faded a touch. "You done playing yet?"

Ducking under a wild swing, she returned the grin. "I guess so. It is a little chilly out here."

Too Tall had finally figured out he was in trouble. His bravado while facing one slayer had morphed into a series of panicked attacks at the thought of two. And even though he'd landed a couple of them while she was concentrating on keeping her lunch down, Buffy had managed to avoid the ice and was clearly in control of the fight. "Then let's get this little show on the road."

"I'm ready when you are." Communicating silently with blows instead of words, they drove him back toward the edge of the stage. One final flying kick laid him out flat and they were on him. Each woman pinned an arm and a leg, their stakes out and threatening.

"Tell us what we want to know and you go easy."

"Make us work for it and we take all night."

"Slayers don't get frostbite."

It was as if they'd been out on patrol the night before it was so seamless. It was good to know she and Buffy were still on the same wavelength, at least when dealing with vampires. Too Tall made a noise Faith took to be a laugh and yanked against their tight hold. She pushed harder into his flesh, taking only a small amount of satisfaction when he grimaced and the laugh disappeared. "Other than the obvious what are you doing in Colorado Springs?" Silence accompanied by a smirk was the only answer. "Did someone send you here?"

"I'm not telling you a damn thing, bitch slayers. I'm not a snitch."

She didn't even bother to look over, just gave Buffy a nod to let her know she had him under control. Her head still ached, but the nausea had dulled to an ignorable annoyance. Within the hour it would be gone completely. She knew from expericence the inevitible bruising would take at least a day to vanish. Out of the corner of her eye she watched Buffy pull a small bottle from her jacket pocket. The holy water had a pop top and B flipped it open with a flourish of her thumb. Without warning, she dribbled a mere three drops onto his forehead. Smoke immediately rose from the spot. "Sure you don't want to talk?"

Too Tall's sucked in a breath as the holy water went to work on him. Faith knew it was only a reflex gesture from his pre-demon days, but it wigged her out just a little all the same. It always did. "We have plenty more where that came from." It took three more carefully placed applications of holy water before he broke. She was almost disappointed. She remembered vampires being tougher than that. She repeated the questions, but he didn't need the prompting.

"He goes by Damon Sparks. Used to be a bio-engineer or something like that. Worked in some sort of complex outside the city before he died." The words stumbled over themselves he was trying to get them out so fast.

A shiver of apprehension, and not a little premonition, worked its way down her spine. It was a fairly substantial city after all. There were probably dozens of complexes that would employ a bio-engineer. Besides, Jack worked with deep space something or other, nothing that would call for a person with Sparks's expertise. But that little niggle wouldn't let go. She didn't have that kind of luck. "Why did he send you?"

"He sent a dozen of us. He does that every now and then, seeing how long we can stay in the city before we're forced back out."

"Are you just supposed to cause general mayhem and get your rocks off or is there a point to all of this?" Buffy asked, holy water dangling in the air from her fingertips.

"Vampires can't normally get into Colorado Springs. He injects us with something before sending us out here. He says it's a serum to counteract whatever it is that stops us. Damon thinks he's close to it."

Faith's gaze met Buffy's across his still smoking chest. No words were needed. She knew the other woman had put two and two together. Sparks had to be taken care of. Quickly. The Springs was one of the few demon free places in the country. He couldn't finish the serum. "Where is he holed up?"

He shifted slightly, discomfort not struggle in every line of his body. "Denver. Chinatown. He works with some herbalist there. That's all I know, okay?"

They dug for another few minutes, but Too Tall really couldn't give them anything else. With a sigh, Faith plunged her stake into his chest and ended the misery of the holy water burns plain on his face. She stared down at the stage, her knees finally beginning to feel the cold seep through her jeans.

"So we heading to Denver?" B's voice was as soft as the slide of the bottle going back into her pocket.

Nodding, she glanced up. "As soon as Jack can contact me. There's usually a communications black out when something goes wonky." She grimaced as she gingerly prodded her jawline. "That's going to hurt for a while."

"Yeah, you took a good hit on the stage there." She held out a steadying hand as they made their way off the stage. "Sorry I was so late. I followed Sharon to make sure she got out of the park alive."

"No biggie. It's nothing permanent." And it wasn't. Although she knew Jack wouldn't see it that way if she was still marked up when he made it home.

Buffy took another long look at her face then into her eyes. "You feeling up to finding the rest of them? I can drop you off, go it alone."

"No way. I'll be fine. I've seen you drive. I'd like to keep my car in at least the questionable shape it's in." She avoided the shove, not letting the smile form. She was feeling better, but she didn't need to aggravate her jaw by making it work unnecessarily.

"Ha ha. Four little accidents and they never let her forget it."

"Little accidents?" she asked, sliding into the driver's seat. "B, you totaled them all. You've never owned a car for longer than a week."

Snapping her seat belt maybe a little harder than necessary, she crossed her arms and slumped back into her seat. "A girl can't be awesome at everything."

There was no stopping the chuckle and soon Buffy's own laugh was joining hers. "I've missed you, B."

"Yeah. Let's not wait months to get together next time."

"Deal."

* * *

cont.


	8. Part 8

** See Part 1 for full disclaimers and story details

PART 8 NOTES: I'm so sorry for the shortness of this part, but it's surrounded by longer ones and called for this particular split. There's a nice long section for you next week. Thanks for the indulgence. (vbg) Hugs and hot coffee go to Lynette, beta and host extraordinaire. She lets me invade her home on a frequent basis and always shares her coffee around fixing my writing errors. Any remaining mistakes are purely mine as I tend to fiddle up until the last possible moment. (g) As always, any and all feedback is appreciated.

* * *

Part Eight

* * *

With a weary sigh, Jack shut the door by the simple act of collapsing against it. He rubbed one hand over his face, eyes stinging beneath the closed lids. What a day. What was supposed to be a relaxing day off enjoyed with his lovely fiancee and her best friend had ended up a seemingly never-ending series of scientific snafus culminating in an hours long lock down he'd finally been released from. And not a moment too soon, he thought darkly, kicking off his shoes in the entry. He pushed off the door and started quietly down the hall. Any longer stuck underground with those morons and he'd have pulled a weapon and started some strategic troubleshooting himself.

He eased the bedroom door open just enough to squeeze through and closed it over again, not letting the latch click. There was no reason to wake Faith. Just having her there with him was enough to sooth his nerves. He could talk to her at a much more reasonable hour. His eyes adjusted gradually to the ambient light teasing into the room through the drapes as he undressed silently. Silver moonlight spilled over her comfortably sprawled form, the dark sheets a sharp contrast to the pale skin of her face and neck. Jeans hanging off one leg, he froze, momentarily stunned into inaction at the sight. It was moments like these he kept expecting to wake up and realize it had all been a dream. An unspoken wish his brain had turned into a hallucination. My God, she was beautiful. And she was going to marry him.

"I can feel your eyes on me," she said quietly, her eyes never opening yet a sweet smile curving her lips. "Why don't you come over here so I can feel other things as well?"

"I was just thinking the same thing." He shucked the second leg of his jeans and moved to the bed in just his boxers. Faith had worked a small miracle in that too. He'd slept in at least a t-shirt for as long as he could remember. Sara had never cared one way or the other. Faith, however, had definite ideas about skin to skin contact and hadn't been shy about asking him to change his ways. He had to admit the warm caress of her against him was something he treasured. His side of the bed was chilly; little of her heat had leached over. He balanced on one arm over her, leaning down to press a kiss to her sleep soft lips.

"Hmm. I missed you. Glad you're home." The throaty sound of her voice warmed him deep inside, more than her hand on his chest did his chilled skin.

That deserved another kiss and he gave it happily. "You have no idea." He settled himself into the sheets, Faith's warm, smooth leg instantly teasing over to tangle with his as she pressed close to his side. It was her favorite sleeping position and he had to admit to himself he loved the sensation of feeling her all along his body. Raising his head from the pillow to place one last kiss on her forehead, an unexpected shadow drew his attention. It followed the curve of her jaw, tracing darkness up and over her cheekbone. She shifted, rearranging herself slightly and the shadow moved with her. Lifting his hand, he traced the back of careful fingers over the mark.

Her eyes never opened, but he felt her sudden tension where they touched. "I'm all right, Jack. Just go to sleep. I'll tell you all about it in the morning." His jaw tightened involuntarily, a seething rage filling him at the thought of what it must have taken to mark her like this. Forcing a breath into his lungs, he let it out then did it all again. She reached up and took his hand from the bruising, lacing their fingers. "Nothing's broken. Just sleep, babe."

He forced his hand to relax. She didn't need another bruise to add to the collection, especially one from him. Faith was alive and unconcerned about her condition, that would have to be enough for now. He shut his brain off with the experience of a lifetime of covert ops and slept with his fiancee tucked against his side.

Sunlight blazed through the small gap in the curtains when he opened his eyes, the smell of coffee tortuously strong. He sat up against the headboard and listened for any indication of Faith's whereabouts. Less than a second later, she pushed open the door and entered, two cups of steaming coffee carefully balanced in one hand. The other held a folder piece of paper. His eyes immediately went to her jaw and his chest loosened a bit when he saw the mark. What had been dark enough for him to see in the questionable light of their darkened bedroom had faded to an ugly yellow and green with a thin strip of purple running through the center of the mass. She handed him a mug then sat facing him, tucking her thick robe around her legs.

"Good morning," she said, blowing on the top of the liquid, steam curling around her face.

"Morning," he replied. He wasn't so sure it was good yet. He'd figure that out once he knew what the hell had happened last night. He knew how difficult it was for Faith to bruise. What she had on her face he wouldn't call simply a bruise. He took a careful sip of coffee, feeling it burn all the way down, then set it on the night stand. "So what happened?"

"B and I had to go out on a patrol last night. I stepped on a patch of ice like an inexperienced idiot and hit a concrete wall."

He blanched as his brain provided a vision of it far too easily, almost wishing she hadn't been quite so up front about it. But that was one of the things he loved the most about her so he pushed it aside. His gaze strayed to the mark. It covered most of the left side of her face. He had a pretty good idea she'd been helped into said concrete wall. "And why did you suddenly have to go out on a patrol last night? You didn't say anything about it before I left." He sounded like a suspicious lover to his own ears and could only hope Faith wouldn't take it that way. He didn't have a problem with her slayer obligations. It was the lack of knowing that got him.

In answer, she handed him the sheet of paper. He glanced at it quickly, the name listed at the top vaguely familiar. A few dates were scrawled underneath in Faith's neat block script. His face must have shown his confusion because she didn't wait for him to ask. "Damon Sparks worked in the Mountain. He was killed almost a year ago by a vampire, turned actually." Her face was set in stone, as if she wasn't quite sure what his reaction was going to be. He didn't like the feeling that crept through his chest at the sight.

He reached out, slid gentle fingers down her unmarked cheek, the sleek silk of her skin warm against his. "I'm not upset, Faith. Well, not at you. Only that you were hurt."

"Jack, I'm just harder to hurt than you are, not invulnerable."

"I know. And I'm glad as hell for it." He forced himself not to wonder what kind of damage she would have received last night if she hadn't been a slayer, if she'd just been some regular woman who'd been attacked. His hands shook at the mere idea and he clenched them together. Then her explanation sank in. "He worked where?"

"He was one of the scientists attached to your project, a bio-engineer. The demon who took up residence in his body knows all about what you do down there. He knows about the field keeping vampires out and is trying to immunize them against it. Make it a regular feeding day in the Springs."

Yep, that's what he thought she'd said. He looked back down at the paper, the name meaning nothing to him. "I don't remember him."

"I doubt you'd have any reason to interact with him. You're not a science guy."

It wasn't an accusation yet he felt it all the way down to his marrow. A man at least nominally under his command had died what was probably a violent, painful death and he couldn't even remember what he looked like. "I'll check his file when I go in tomorrow. See what he was working on in particular, if it could have repercussions."

She nodded, face relaxing a little. "I appreciate it. I don't want details. As a matter of fact it's easier if I don't have any. They tend to bog things down when we're dealing with the Big Bads."

"You said he's doing what with these vampires? Immunizing them? Against what?"

Faith's gaze fell to the vicinity of his chest, her shoulders slumping enough he could see the movement. "I asked Willow to do some digging a while ago, before I'd told you about us. Something in the Mountain emits a frequency, one supernatural baddies can't go near. It's like shoving ice picks into their brains."

"So it's like a safety net around the Springs?" When she nodded, he smiled. Leave it up to Carter and her toys to have unanticipated side effects. At least this one was saving people, not hurting them. "That's a good thing, isn't it?"

"Usually. Except for days like yesterday. Power was down for a while, wasn't it?"

His smile faded, logic filling in the gaps. "Vampires sneaked in during the blackout." Eyes moving back to her cheek, he swallowed hard. It looked as if the color had faded even in the little time they'd been talking. He doubted she'd have anything to show by the time they went to sleep that night.

"Yep. Sparks monitors it somehow and sends a test group in every time. He's getting closer to figuring out how to block it." She took his hand, eyebrows drawn together. "Buffy and I can't let him finish. We have his location. We need to go today."

Instinct had the denial half out of his mouth before his brain caught up. This was what it meant to be a slayer. She'd warned him about it, that she'd have to leave without warning and with even less information to back her up. His fingers tightened on hers, squeezing hard enough his knuckles creaked. Forcibly relaxing them, he caught her gaze, held it. "I love you, Faith." It wasn't what he'd meant to say, but apparently it was what he needed. She smiled and slid forward on the bed to wrap her arms around him. The sheet of paper fell to the floor, forgotten as he pulled her close. Her scent filled his nose, bring an ache to his chest. "Come back to me." It was stupid to ask her not to get hurt, even more so to not go at all.

"Always, Jack. I'll always come back to you."

It would have to be enough. Even as he thought it, a niggling worm of fear crawled into his gut, taking root. Now he knew what it was like to be the one left behind and the grass was definitely not greener.

* * *

cont.


	9. Part 9

** See Part 1 for full disclaimers and story details

PART 9 NOTES: Here's the nice, long chunk I promised you. Thank you to all of the reviewers this past week. I'm sorry for the late responses, but I was traveling again and had end of holiday blues (read: lack of Internet). Special thanks to Allen Pitt for the comments and future plot ideas. You're as evil as I am. I love it! (vbg) Huge hugs go to Lynette, beta and host extraordinaire. I had a great trip and can't wait to do it all over again. Any remaining mistakes are purely mine as I tend to fiddle up until the last possible moment. (g) As always, any and all feedback is appreciated.

* * *

Part Nine

* * *

Jack leaned away from his desk, breath leaving him in a heavy, wordless statement. His eyes couldn't seem to leave the sheets of paper covering the immediate area before him. He hadn't wanted to believe it, hadn't wanted to think that one of their own people could be so turned against them. But the information spread like one giant accusation across the desk.

Damon Sparks had been one of theirs. And he'd died three days after his thirty-second birthday. But according to Faith, he'd been the victim of a vampire attack, which made it more than just a murder.

Finally, he wrested his gaze from the pages of clean text by the simple expediency of closing them. The act did little good, however. The words crawled across his lids as if they were ticker tape at the bottom of his TV. Brought on board not long after the SGC's infamous encounter with the people from P3X-797, more familiarly known as the Land of Light, Sparks had been a bio-engineer who specialized in viruses. According to his file, he'd been involved with every bio-hazard that came near the Stargate, whether carried through by a team or specifically collected by the science nerds. He'd been brilliant and had saved SG-1's own collective ass a time or two. As soon as Jack saw the photo attached to the file he'd recognized the man. They'd nodded greetings to each other for years as they'd passed in the corridor. The file also listed a wife, two daughters and a son as his dependents, almost as an afterthought.

Jack had never even known his name.

And now he was dead, gone, taken over by a demon intent on using those same skills which had helped saved the SGC numerous times. Anger sat hard in his gut at the thought. The man had done nothing to deserve his fate, nothing except walk down the wrong street on the wrong day, according to the police report Jack had found neatly placed at the top of Sparks's personnel file. Reading the report with a critical eye and Faith's more precise insight, he could see the hints of something not quite right with a mugging gone bad scenario. The police had done what they could to solve the murder, but Faith had told him people saw what they wanted to, not what their primitive selves knew to be true. After reading the file, her words struck home as they hadn't been able to before. Even the SGC investigators who'd been dispatched to ensure there were no troublesome leaks had found nothing to be concerned with. His wife and three children had been left with the horrible knowledge his murder would probably never be solved.

And so Damon Sparks's death had gone down as a random act of violence.

Jack almost lost what little he'd eaten that morning as the truth sank in.

Abruptly, he stood, gut churning, and shoved the sheets back into the folder before slamming it shut. It weighed far heavier than it should have as he carried it to the grey file cabinet occupying the back corner of his office. He opened a drawer at random and threw the file in. There was nothing he could do about it now. He would have to hope Faith extracted her own kind of justice for the man who hadn't deserved the kind of death he'd been given.

He slammed the drawer shut without thought and clipped the end of his index finger, drawing blood and a curse, impotent anger at Sparks's death morphing into a more physical one. Kicking the cabinet in useless retaliation, Jack called it quits. The day had been a loss from start to the almost amputation. Faith's absence had made the house empty and cold when it had always meant home and security to him. Now the truth of Sparks's demise weighed on him like a rock. He sucked on the injured finger, still throwing out the occasional curse when the throbbing escalated in waves. A quick search left him with the realization he still hadn't gotten around to refilling his first aid kit from the infirmary. Damn. He was going to have to go there to get a band aid, despite the fact his pride was hurt more than the finger. Scowling once more at the offending object, he turned and headed out into the corridor.

His black mood must have communicated itself clearly to everyone in his path. They practically scrambled to get out of his way. Another day and it might have made him smile. Today it only served to irritate him even further.

Pushing his way into the infirmary, he gave the nurse on duty a look sharp enough to make a lesser person bleed and ground out, "Band aid." Obviously the woman had been warned about Jack O'Neill in a foul mood because she simply nodded and moved to a towering cabinet of small drawers. Two pulls and a box later, Jack was holding his hand out over a tray for disinfection. The stuff stung something fierce and he forcibly kept his hand still. "You know that hurts worse than the injury itself."

"They do it that way on purpose, Colonel," she said, clearly not phased by his attitude. "It keeps out the people who don't really need to be here."

The unexpected response surprised a chuckle out of him, but it faded all too quickly. "I'll remember that for next time."

"Not to worry, sir. We have plenty more antiseptic where that came from." She patted the last bit of adhesive into place and gathered up the refuse. "All done. Why don't you take a couple extra to keep in your office?"

"Thanks," he said, more a grumble than actual words. She didn't deserve the crap, but she was a very handy target. He took a few of the sealed bandages and headed for the door. Quiet footsteps behind him told him escape wouldn't be that easy.

"Just a moment, Colonel." Janet Fraiser was a tiny woman in stature only. She wielded an authority few questioned, one Jack had run up against far too many times and lost. This was going to be one of those days. "Come on into my office."

It wasn't a suggestion and he knew it. Though he outranked her by grade, by duty status and position she had every right to call him on out of character behavior. Snapping at nurses and growling like a cranky bear about a tiny cut was one of those situations. He followed her into the small room attached to one side of the infirmary and managed not to wince when she shut the door behind him.

"Have a seat, sir." She waited patiently for him to slump into the hard plastic chair then speared him with a look that said she expected nothing but the truth out of him. "What's going on, Colonel?"

"I'm just having a bad day, Doc. I'll get over it."

"I've seen your bad days. That wasn't a bad day kind of reaction." Holding his gaze, her dark eyes glowed with the concern she'd consistently shown him throughout the years.

He knew she would wait there all day until he spoke. She'd done it before although where she'd found the patience with him he'd never have the courage to ask. "Faith had to go out of town. Her friend had an emergency. She left yesterday morning." He could almost see a light bulb go off behind her eyes. He didn't know whether to be happy or offended she'd figured him out with those three short sentences. Hell, he hadn't even figured it out yet. All he knew was he felt antsy, irritable and couldn't concentrate.

"You miss her."

"I know I miss her."

"No, I mean, you miss her," she repeated, the not so subtle stress on the word raising his eyebrows a notch. Her lips twitched with a smile he could see her hold back. "This is the first time you've been separated not due to an off-world mission since you got together. She left you behind this time."

She didn't say it to be cruel, but he felt it like a stab in the gut anyway. Instant reaction had him shaking his head in denial. There was no way his entire attitude could be so indelibly linked to her presence. Yes, he missed her. There was no denying that and he hadn't even tried. But was he really so affected by her absence? "She's only been gone for a day. I spoke with her this morning."

"And you miss her. And you're worried because she's not somewhere you can ride to the rescue if she needs you."

Hell, yes, he was worried about her. She was chasing off after some crazy vampire bio-engineer with only Buffy at her back. What could he possibly have to be concerned with? But he couldn't tell Fraiser any of that. He sighed and rubbed a hand over his face, giving himself a moment to center his thoughts. The general antsy feeling suddenly made perfect sense. Her short sojourns into the life of the slayer had been few and far between since she'd told him the truth. This was the first time she was going to be in any real danger and the doc was right. There was no way he could help her. All he could do was run scenarios in his head and hope Buffy was able to keep her safe. "I'm not a knight in shining armor, Doc."

Her impish grin filled the room with soundless laughter. "Nope. Your armor is certainly not shining." She leaned forward, elbows tucked into her knees, her smile dropping. "Sir, Faith will be fine. She'll help her friend and come back to you safe and sound. You're more liable to get hurt. Isn't SG-1 going out with Maj. Parker and SG-11 tonight?"

"It's just a meet and greet. I don't know why we're babysitting." The abrupt change in topic should have surprised him, but it didn't. Fraiser always had a reason for her sometimes unexpected conversations.

"And another reason for your annoyance maybe?"

He frowned down at her, not liking or appreciating her implications. "Exactly what are you getting at, Dr. Fraiser?"

She caught his tone between one blink and the next. Another thing he usually liked about her, just not at the moment. "How are you and Daniel getting along lately?"

"The team's fine. We're working the same as always."

"That's not the question I asked."

But it was all the answer she was going to get from him on that subject. "Anything else before I get back to work?"

She stared at him, unblinking, lips pursed. "Are you sure there's nothing else you want to talk about?"

"Yep. If that's all?" He waited a mere heartbeat for a response before pushing to his feet. "See you." He made it to the door before her quiet words stopped him, but he didn't turn around. He didn't want to see her face.

"Colonel, you may not want to talk to me, but you need to talk to someone."

Her voice lingered in the office between them for a long moment. He didn't nod, just left, leaving the door standing open behind him. The nurse who'd treated his cut finger nodded a goodbye in his direction and kept writing steadily on the clipboard she held. At least she didn't think he was avoiding his "issues."

As soon as the thought formed he choked it back. Fraiser had always dealt fair with him. She was only concerned for him and his team, even when that concern treaded on ground he had no wish to discuss. Her thoughts on Faith bore some scrutiny however. He and Faith had been separated before and he'd known it was going to be different with her going off into danger instead of him. But to alter his mood to such an extent where he couldn't even pay enough attention to detail to close a file cabinet without injuring himself? That had badness written all over it, as Faith would put it.

Okay, so he missed her. He was worried about her. She'd come home and he'd get over it. Now he just had to convince himself to believe it. He entered his office considerably more sober than he'd stalked out. Before he could talk himself out of it, he had the phone in his hand and was dialing. Almost immediately, the call was directed to voice mail. Faith's voice was slightly tinny in the receiver, but he treasured the sound of it all the same. "You know the drill," she'd recorded. "So talk."

He smiled, remembering the day she'd complained about his more traditional greeting, saying he lacked imagination. She was right, but he still hadn't altered it. She'd turned right around, grabbed his phone and done it for him. Then she'd thrown the one currently filling his ear onto her phone without batting an eyelash. As he waited for the beep, a lump tried to force its way up his throat. He shoved it back down and cleared it instead. "Hey, babe. I know you have your hands full at the moment, but I needed to let you know they've called another exercise. It's a short one, but I may not be home when you get back. Give me a call if you get this before 1700. Please be careful. I love you."

After setting the receiver carefully down in its cradle he glanced at the clock ticking quietly on the wall. Crap. He was going to be late for the mission briefing if he didn't get a move on. Maybe Fraiser had more of a point than he wanted to admit. But just about Faith. SG-1 was fine and they'd prove it once again to all and sundry. If he could manage to get to the briefing, that was. He grabbed the folder from the top of the small stack in front of his computer and headed for the door. A knock sounded before his hand reached the knob. "Teal'c," he greeted, waving the folder at his friend. "I was just on my way to the briefing."

"You are not on your way to the briefing, O'Neill."

"I'm not?"

"I am here to inform you Gen. Hammond has had to reschedule it for one hour later."

Jack didn't know whether to be happy or pissed about the change. Happy about not almost being late to a briefing? Yes. Pissed that it was going to throw off the rest of his pre-mission prep schedule? Yep also. Screw it, he decided. He could be both at the same time. Just look at his years spent around Daniel. The thought froze him for a split second. He hadn't let the other man intrude on his internal radar for weeks. Just that little touch had the anger resurfacing all over again. And since Teal'c was no dummy, he caught Jack's hesitation. Jack could see it clearly in his eyes.

"What is wrong, O'Neill?" His friend stepped into the office around him and shut the door with an ominous click. Then again, maybe it was just the overactive imagination Faith teased he didn't have that made it sound that way.

"It's nothing, T. I was looking forward to knocking out some of those planet evaluations with Carter before we headed out. I don't think that's going to happen now." It was only an hour later, but it made a break that was both inconvenient and awkward. Hell, it took Carter most of an hour to simply hit the bullet points. The woman was nothing if not thorough. It was a trait he admired every day except on evaluation days. And just maybe on apple pie Thursdays.

One eyebrow raised in an expression Jack had seen more than enough times to know Teal'c was about to call shenanigans on him. Sometimes he hated it when he was right. "The briefing time change is not what I was referring to. Something has been bothering you for some time now."

Instant guilt flooded his system. Teal'c had had nothing to do with it. He'd bet a good chunk of his paycheck on that one. His problem was with Daniel and Daniel alone. Unfortunately, Teal'c had gotten caught in the middle. Carter had made it a point to stay as clear as possible from the fallout, yet another thing he admired about her. Teal'c, however, had far fewer choices in his companions. He was by no means confined to the SGC, but rarely did he leave it without one of the three of his team mates with him either. Without realizing it, he'd limited his time spent with his friend simply due to the probability of Daniel's presence. "It's not you, Teal'c. Not in any way." He looked up into his friend's solid gaze and saw what he wouldn't say aloud. Teal'c was worried, really worried. Jack forced a smile to his lips and leaned his butt back against his desk. "Why don't you come out this weekend after we get back from our planet of the week? Have dinner with me and Faith. Maybe a movie. She's out of town right now, but she should be back by then." God, he hoped she was. That ugly little niggling worm reared its head, trying to squirm forward once again. He slapped it back into place and held it there firmly. Everything would be fine. And maybe if he kept thinking it he'd actually start to believe it.

"I accept, O'Neill. It will be good to spend time with her as well, away from training." That shadow he'd seen in Teal'c's eyes didn't disappear, but it did lighten a bit. It only made the guilt eat harder at his insides. Thankfully, Teal'c let him get away with his meager apology and changed the subject. He nodded toward the folder still in Jack's hand before speaking. "There seems to be little reason for our presence on this mission. I wonder at Gen. Hammond's insistence on our going with SG-11."

"You and me both, buddy. It's not like we haven't had our share of off-world time this month. We could actually do with a break."

"Maybe it is not us he has concerns about."

Right. SG-11 had a far better track record for boring missions than SG-1 had ever had. "Wish I could see it that way, Teal'c. I get the feeling Hammond wants to toss us a few milk runs to even things out. Give us better odds of surviving our next disaster."

The small smile was the closest to a full-on grin he'd ever seen Teal'c show. The fact he'd been able to pull it out of him eased the black ball of guilt slightly. "I do not believe Gen. Hammond shares your exact outlook on our situation. I admit SG-1 may have a tendency to encounter more than our share of danger, but we have always found a way to use that to our advantage. We are the primary first contact team for just that very reason. We go where other teams cannot. Perhaps Gen. Hammond sees this as an opportunity for us to demonstrate to Maj. Parker and his team additional interplanetary diplomacy techniques."

"You are quite the optimist today, aren't you?" he asked, shaking his head. No, Hammond had his reasons and interplanetary diplomacy had nothing to do with it. Maybe it was time to have a sit down with the boss and see exactly what was going on in his head. But it would have to wait until after this evening's romp in the woods. He didn't need unnecessary distractions right before a mission, milk run or not. "What's the pool at, anyway?"

"Five to one for as of one hour ago. I added our traditional contribution to the pot."

"Thanks. I didn't have time to get down to see Williams this morning." It had started out as a running joke among the scientists. What was Sam Carter going discover on this mission? Within a year, her track record had encouraged them to take a much more serious turn. Carter and her ability to find technology in the most unexpected places had become legend in their small circle. It had also netted him and Teal'c a surprisingly large amount of money. They limited their bets to twenty dollars and they only bet the long shot, but it hadn't seemed to matter. Jack didn't have a clue what factors the scientists used to determine the odds and he didn't really care. He was only surprised Carter hadn't found out about the stupid pool herself. She was amazingly good at ferreting out information she wasn't supposed to have. It had worked to his, and the team's, advantage more than once over the years. But this was one bit he wasn't so sure he wanted her to know. They'd never live it down.

Teal'c's tiny smile faded as the silence grew between them. Shifting slightly on the sharp edge of the desk, Jack settled himself more comfortably to wait him out. He didn't have to wait long however. "O'Neill," he said, deep voice seeming to hold all of their years as allies and friends in its tones. "I am concerned that the breach between you and Daniel Jackson is still present. It has been months since his ill-judged interference in your personal life."

He didn't say anything more, but Jack didn't need him to spell it out. The anger from earlier started to rise again before he could shut it off. It tinged his voice, making it colder than he intended. "Daniel chose his own bed. Now he can lie in it. There's no reason I should help him out of it. I only need him to do his job on SG-1. At least in that he hasn't let me down." Yep, that came out sounding far too bitter for his liking, revealing more than he'd let show in a long time.

"There are times when forgiveness is a necessity, O'Neill. You of all people know this." It wasn't judgmental, wasn't accusing, just spoken, just suddenly out there.

Silence fell between them once more, their gazes locked in mutual understanding and shared years of atonement. Finally, his throat eased enough for him to speak. "There are some things I can forgive, Teal'c, and some I can even forget. But there are some I can't do either."

Teal'c inclined his head, accepting his statement without another word on the subject. But somehow Jack had the feeling the conversation wasn't as over as he wanted it to be.

* * *

cont.


	10. Part 10

** See Part 1 for full disclaimers and story details

PART 10 NOTES: Thank you all for the wonderful response to Part 9. I'm really behind on replying, but I didn't want to hold up posting because I got swamped this week. I promise I'm working on them even as I hit 'post.' (vbg) Huge hugs and sincere thanks go to Lynette, beta extraordinaire. I haven't finished posting this behemoth and I throw another one her way to start wading through. Her work is never done. Any remaining mistakes are purely mine as I tend to fiddle up until the last possible moment. (g) As always, any and all feedback is appreciated.

* * *

Part Ten

* * *

Jack's warm voice filled her ear, sending little shivers down her skin. His message was as unexpected as it was welcome. Faith's fingers curled around the cell phone, wishing it was his hand instead. The beep at the end of the voicemail shattered the illusion and her eyes flew open. She saved the message with one quick punch of the number '7' and shoved down the embarrassment trying to claw its way up her chest. So what if she got all moon-eyed over a stupid voicemail? She was in love and going to be married in just a couple of months. She'd get used to the feeling eventually. Probably somewhere around her golden anniversary.

Hurriedly, she glanced at the small readout. 4:45. She grinned as she hit the speed dial. There was just enough time to call before he went to blackout. Talk about perfect timing. She and Buffy had been surveilling Sparks's hidey-hole all day, looking for weaknesses, but the sun was starting to dip below the high ridgeline of the Rockies and they'd decided to go to a more secure location to plan their attack. Between the night before and the hours spent observing today, they had more than enough intel to decide what to do. It was too well defended to just rush in with only the two of them without some idea of a plan. He seemed to have vampire flunkies crawling out of the dark-painted woodwork. A daylight rush was their best option and even then it was going to be tough.

The quiet ringing as her phone dialed broke her train of thought and she pushed the vampires out of her mind. She didn't want them sullying her short time with her fiance. But his expected greeting didn't happen. The phone continued to ring until the base operator recording interrupted to tell her the party she was trying to reach was not available. Would she like to leave a message?

No, damn it, she didn't want to leave a message. But she pressed the correct number anyway and was soon directed to Jack's official voice mail. Before she could figure out what she wanted to say her cell buzzed in her hand, startling her just the slightest bit. She glanced at the readout and quickly hit the button to end her call and change over to the incoming one. "Hey. I thought I'd missed you."

"You nearly did." Jack's voice had an out of breath quality she only heard during rare occasions and the sound sent a tiny flutter down deep in her abdomen. "I was trapped in a briefing until a minute ago. People need to embrace the joy of bullet points."

She giggled, feeling his answering smile even across the cell transmission. "Everything else going okay?"

A painful clatter came from the speaker and she winced her ear away. She didn't know what he'd dropped, but it sure hadn't sounded like a stapler. "Yeah, just a run of the mill thing. Nothing special. I don't even know why they called us in for this one. I'd rather be at home waiting for you to come back to me."

"You and me both, Jack. I miss you already." And vampires merely enjoyed drinking blood and causing mayhem. She physically ached from the lack of his presence. Her chest held a lump of lead that made breathing a chore she pushed though. She'd felt it before when they'd been separated because of his extended exercises, but never to such a painful degree. She didn't want to acknowledge it, yet it was different with her leaving him instead of the other way around. He disappeared into the bowels of the Mountain where she could be near him at least by sheer proximity. In Denver, she was far enough away to feel the distance in her soul. "What are the chances of you having new bruises when I get home?" She didn't bother to mention the strange burns and lacerations he couldn't talk and she didn't ask about.

"Pretty slim. Yours are a whole lot higher. Tell me you won't take any unnecessary chances." Concern filled every word of his hushed order, sliding through her to fill the emptiness just a little.

She noted he didn't ask her to not take any, just to make sure they were the right ones. If she ever saw Whistler again, she'd actually apologize for giving him so much crap the last time she'd seen the annoying little demon. He'd sent her to Jack. No other man could understand her so well or be willing to let her go into danger. "We won't take any unnecessary chances. Hopefully I'll be home tomorrow night." She didn't know who was the more comforted by the thought. Each of them in their own way needed the other.

The sound of muffled speaking came through his pause and she heard him sigh. "I'm sorry, but I have to go, babe. I love you. Be careful."

"You, too. I'll see you soon." Neither said goodbye, a habit she wasn't sure who had started yet both of them followed. She closed the phone with a quiet snap and shoved it into her pocket. She allowed herself one more moment to hold his words close to her heart then secured them deep inside. It was time to get to work.

Faith caught sight of the familiar bobbing blonde ponytail as she neared her car. They'd left it parked a good distance away from Sparks's headquarters, preferring to walk in the cold than give his people something new to wonder about. Her breath made tiny puffs of condensation in the air and she blew out a thin stream of air just to watch it float away. She wasn't crazy about cold weather, but it did bring back what few good memories she did have of growing up in New England.

"I think it's Starbucks time," Buffy said as she drew up beside the other woman. The tip of B's nose was pink and her cheeks flushed a warm red. Whereas Faith had grown up with the cold, Buffy was a southern California girl through and through and had no qualms about letting everyone know it.

Smiling at her friend's exaggerated shiver, she flipped open the passenger lock before moving around to do to the same to hers. The fob lock had long ago died, leaving her old school style. "Come on. I'll buy the first round."

"Good. It'll take at least three before I get feeling back into my body."

She chuckled at the disgruntled tone, completely unsympathetic to Buffy plight. The normal Colorado cold winter couldn't hurt a slayer any more than a spring rainstorm could and they both knew it. It would take temperatures of a far more punishing nature to damage their thick hides. As long as they packed their bodies with calories on a regular basis, their metabolism would keep them perfectly safe. Sugar filled coffee would work just as well as food. It was the calories that counted.

"You know you could have moved to Hawaii instead," Buffy said, blowing on her hands around the words. "I've heard the winters there are just as nice as the summers. But no, you had to go and choose Colorado which has even longer winters than Cleveland."

"But if I'd moved to Hawaii what would you have to bitch about?" There was no need to remind her friend the only reason she'd moved at all was because of Jack. At the thought, warmth puddled in her chest and the corners of her lips tipped upward. "Admit it, it's warmer here than back at your place." She miraculously spotted an empty parking stall directly in front of the coffee shop and headed for it like a bullet. Narrowly beating out a sparkling clean white BMW SUV, she grinned in triumph. "How's that for timing, huh?" Buffy merely shook her head and climbed out of the car, but Faith noticed her friend's frown trying to tug just the tiniest bit upwards.

Entering the Starbucks felt more like what entering Walmart on Black Friday would be, a fate Faith fervently prayed she would never experience. "Apparently everyone else has the same idea we did. Starbucks, the fireplace for the trendies."

She nodded in agreement with Buffy and pointed out a couple tucked away at one of the small tables in corner. "Go grab their seats. I'll wade through the line." With only a nod in acknowledgment, the tiny blonde woman disappeared into the congestion.

Scanning the cheerfully packed crowd around her, Faith tried to remember the last time she'd had that feeling of secure obliviousness. After a long moment, she realized she'd never had it. Her childhood had not been Sesame Street and F.A.O Schwartz, more like Carrie and Dysfunctional Families 'R Us. But, she decided as she crept ever closer to the register, if she was honest with herself she wasn't sure she'd go back and change it, even if the PTBs gave her the chance. Her seriously whacked upbringing had given her a sense of self-reliance, an independence she'd needed as a slayer. If she'd had a normal family-whatever people considered normal these days-she probably would have been killed that first year. No, she'd take her messed up childhood, her bumps, scars and wrong decisions. Mistakes and all, she was a better person, a better slayer, for it.

After what seemed forever, she weaved her way through the tables to the corner. The drinks were a comfortable heat against her palms, warming the residual chill that simply didn't want to let go. "I don't see any bodies littering the floor. I take it you didn't have to resort to violence?"

"Nah. I frightened the hordes off," B said, California sunny good looks laughingly contradicting her words. She took a careful sip of her caramel latte and sighed in appreciation. "Thanks."

Faith saluted her with her own peppermint mocha and drank as well. "So, initial thoughts?" Just like that they snapped fully into slayer mode.

"We can't go in at night. There are just too many of them even with two of us."

She silently agreed. At least twenty different vampire flunkies had flitted to and fro around Sparks's building over the hours they'd watched. They were good, but they weren't invincible. "Do we want to call in for help? Bring in one of the others?"

Buffy mulled the thought for so long Faith was almost surprised to not see smoke puffing out of her ears. Finally, she shook her head. "No. I don't think we can afford to wait that long. We need to go in tomorrow morning. Something's telling me to move on this now."

"Yeah, I hear you," she said quietly. They'd both learned the hard way to not ignore those pushes, no matter how absurd they felt at the time. They each had scars as remembrances, not all of them the physical kind. "Dawn comes pretty early here, but later is better. The mountains tend to eat direct sunlight when you're not expecting it. And we'll need all of it we can get."

For the next hour they plotted and planned, discarded and then finally agreed upon what Faith could only hope was a plan that would end in success. She was too experienced to think for even a breath they'd come out of it totally unscathed. She'd call it a win if they could both simply walk away, even with the other's help. After finishing their third coffees apiece, they headed back to the room they'd rented and crashed. Faith lay in the dark silence for a few minutes, listening to Buffy's breathing even out. Her fellow slayer had always been more adept at turning it off than she was. Once she'd envied the ability, but she'd long ago learned there were advantages to lying still in the darkness. Her brain focused, tightened down to laser accuracy without the distractions of the world calling to her. She used it now to prepare for the coming day. It had been months since her last real action as a slayer. It had been Cleveland and the uber-violent racgang that had sent her wandering down an empty street and straight into her future. And here I am again, she thought into the quiet of the room, staring blindly toward the ceiling. Let's make this one count for the good guys.

With that last encouraging thought, she shut down her brain, closed her eyes and slept.

* * *

cont.


	11. Part 11

** See Part 1 for full disclaimers and story details

PART 11 NOTES: And another shorter chapter this time around. But we're heading into the last parts of the story and things are going to start moving quickly. Thanks to all who are still with us! (vbg) Special thanks go to Lynette, Awesome Beta Woman. Her work is never done. Any remaining mistakes are purely mine as I tend to fiddle up until the last possible moment. (g) As always, any and all feedback is appreciated.

* * *

Part Eleven

* * *

If he'd been in a foul mood after returning from a babysitting mission a three year old could have handled, Jack didn't want to know how someone else would describe his emotions threatening to explode all over the people gathered around the briefing table. How he made it through the interminable, incessant prattle of the back brief he had no idea. All he knew was he had to get out of there. Now. No, make that half an hour ago.

If asked later, he would never be able to say how he escaped Doc Fraiser's clutches, avoided the other members of SG-1 and slipped through security without getting tagged for something only he could handle right that minute. He was simply happy to be the hell out of the Mountain. Just breathing the sharp slap of the cold Colorado air relaxed the tension deep inside and he felt his muscles begin to loosen. As he drove through the mostly empty streets, body moving on autopilot, he found he was able to examine his uncharacteristic irritation with an outsider's eye.

The joint mission with SG-11 had started out well, much better than he'd been willing to concede to Teal'c the day before. Parker ran a tight team, despite his relative lack of experience, and Jack was happy to see SG-1 working well with them. Until Daniel had opened his big mouth, second-guessing Parker's resident cultural expert repeatedly. Okay, so the lady hadn't been around as long as Daniel and she certainly didn't speak as many languages. But she'd been handling herself well, in Jack's not so minor opinion. Apparently, Mr. I'm-the-only-one-who-knows-how-it-should-be-done hadn't agreed, sticking his nose in where it hadn't been requested. Thankfully Richmark had eased over the awkward moments and still managed to finagle an offer of another visit. Awkward, did he say? He snorted, hands clenching on the steering wheel. Why not just say almost deal breaking and be done with it?

The worst part of it? Even before the post-mission brief, with Carter and Teal'c trying to knock it into his thick head, Daniel still refused to acknowledge he'd been in the wrong. Again. And this time it had almost blown a mission. Now Jack had to decide what to do about him. Did he report the incident to Hammond as something the commander of the SGC needed to deal with? Or did he handle it himself? Normally, the question was a no brainer for him. Disciplinary problems in the military were handled first at the lowest level, always had been, always would be. But their ongoing personal conflict put Jack in the unusual position of wanting to dump the entire issue with Hammond. Let him handle the know-it-all prick. Not two seconds after the thought floated to the surface he slapped it down. No. He was SG-1's team leader and until such time as he was removed from the position, he'd handle its issues as well. It was time to take Dr. Jackson in hand and remind him what the SGC was doing out there in the universe.

He turned onto his street, vaguely surprised and not a little worried he didn't remember the entire trip home. The big truck's lights illuminated his driveway long before he reached it and all thoughts of Daniel and his growing arrogance vanished. Faith's car sat in the drive, the spotted paint job as familiar to him as his own pristine and bi-weekly waxed one. His heart tripped into double time and he sped just a little faster down the street. Before he reached the curb, the doors opened on the little piece of junk and the two women climbed out.

No, he amended silently, the bump of the front tires going over the curb jarring his wrists and elbows. They weren't climbing. Climbing made him think of motion and facility. The two slayers practically hobbled, weariness in every line of their bodies. He stopped the truck with far less care than he usually gave it and was moving before the engine had fully shut off. "Are you all right?"

"We're fine." Her reply was muffled by his chest as he crushed her to him, mindful of the probable bruises she carried, but needing to feel her alive and in one piece too much to soften his hold. "Nothing that won't heal in a few days."

He pulled away far enough to cup her face in both hands, twisting it to inspect the damage she'd inflicted on it in the glow of the security light. "Didn't anyone ever teach you to duck, Faith?"

"I tried," Buffy said as she rounded the car. "I never had much luck with her."

Jack appraised her as well, hands still gently moving over his fiancee's skin. The blonde woman limped heavily to the left, one arm held carefully close to her side. Her left eye was swollen, the normally bright green half hidden by its lid. "Apparently you didn't take your own advice. Or were there just that many of them?" He didn't want to know, he really didn't, but the question escaped before he could stop it.

Tugging his hands off of her face and into her own battered ones, Faith smiled, but it wasn't one he would ever classify as cheerful. "There were more. Come on. We'll tell you all about it while you fuss over me."

"I do not fuss." The denial was automatic, which was a good thing as his brain was still struggling to process what she'd revealed with her words. He was getting the feeling he should already be down on his knees thanking God she was still alive, even as tore up as she was. They were quiet as they moved up the drive, his arm still supporting Faith. It didn't escape his notice Faith had her spare hand on Buffy's arm, lending her what strength she could. Not just one but two slayers practically knocked on their asses? What the hell had Sparks been up to? And did he even want to know anymore? He didn't bother answering the second thought. He would always want to know, even when it hurt.

"You two go into the kitchen. I'll get the drugs." Faith gave him a warm, if tired, smile and led her friend away down the steps into the living room. He didn't dawdle, didn't want them to be in pain any longer than they had to be. They were still getting settled at the table when he entered the kitchen, transparent orange bottle of little white pills in one hand, ice bag in the other. "So who wants to start?" He could feel the look they gave each other as he shoved his hand into the ice container, drawing out a handful of the cubes. It was three more handfuls before Faith spoke.

"Sparks was definitely working up an army. His hidey-hole was part evil guy lair and part laboratory. It was weird, even by our standards."

Buffy nodded, accepting the ice pack with a worn smile. "I've only seen its like once and that wasn't a good thing either. I ended up having to destroy it as well. Once science starts trying to mess with the supernatural all sorts of badness happens."

"Fess up, B. You didn't just destroy the lab," Faith said, a twinkle appearing in her eye despite the discoloration marking her cheekbone underneath it. "You destroyed the entire complex."

"Well, it seemed like the right choice at the time. But it wasn't necessary today." She must have felt his brief spurt of astonishment because her assurance was obviously aimed at him. He didn't know whether to be happy or not about the fact as he sat next to Faith at the table. "Sparks left all of his toys in one nice, neat area."

The image reminded him he hadn't gotten the chance to give Faith what little information he'd found. "I pulled his file yesterday. He was one of mine. I didn't know who he was until I saw his ID shot. All those years we'd worked in the same place and I'd never learned his name." A warm hand gripped his, fingers lacing together with gentle strength. She didn't say anything, didn't have to. He could feel it in her touch. "Since you're here I'll assume you stopped him?"

"Him, his gang and his wonder drug. You don't have to worry about any of them rearing their ugly heads again."

It was one of those moments where he was suddenly reminded she had a past as bloody and violent as he had. It seemed a stupid thought with her sitting injured, cut up and more than likely bruised in more places than he wanted to know about, but he had it nonetheless. He just didn't see her that way. He knew she was tough, capable and strong. Yet he'd also seen her vulnerable, scared and nervous. Those and the hundred other tiny things he learned about her day by day blended into exactly what he needed, what he'd been missing in his life. Her life as a slayer had never really come up to join the mix of what he loved about her. Her abilities, yes, but not the actual down and dirty reality of it. He raised her hand, fingers still entwined. Softly kissing the swollen knuckles, he held her gaze. It only took a breath to add the slayer to the mix and accept it. He had no doubt it would cause him more than his share of anxiety in the future, but it was just another facet of the woman he loved. He couldn't take just the happy parts. It wouldn't be something worth cherishing without the whole package. "I'm glad you won and he lost."

She must have heard what he could never express aloud because her face softened into the smile she only had for him. "So am I."

A barely audible sigh reminded him there was someone else sitting at the table with them and he leaned back into his chair. "So tell me exactly how many people Sparks did have?" If his tone implied a certain level of expectation he wasn't adverse to it. He was fairly sure any number over five was more than he wanted to hear about, but they'd both lived through the fight. The telling would only reinforce his belief in her. He hoped.

"Twenty-four. He had three more hidden away inside the whole time. Bastard was holding out on us."

"We did take out those four vamps in the outer hall before we went in. Evened the odds back out."

His eyebrows raised at that. Ten to one? Faith called that evening things out? He bit his lip before he could ask what they'd consider unfair and let them continue the story.

* * *

cont.


	12. Part 12

** See Part 1 for full disclaimers and story details

PART 12 NOTES: Thank you to my many readers! You guys are awesome! (vbg) Your comments continue to amaze and inspire me. Special thanks go to Lynette, Awesome Beta Woman. Her work is never done. Any remaining mistakes are purely mine as I tend to fiddle up until the last possible moment. (g) As always, any and all feedback is appreciated.

* * *

Part Twelve

* * *

"Colonel, your request is approved."

Gen. Hammond's voice echoed in Jack's head as he sat in his truck in his driveway. He didn't even want to know all the tap dancing Hammond had had to do to get around Faith's prison record. Top secret clearances weren't handed out to many convicted felons. As Jack had come to understood it in the past two months, it took something along the lines of a Presidential directive to make it happen. He didn't ask if that's what it had taken. The only thing he cared about was that it was finally done. He could finally stop lying to Faith. And yet now that the time had come, he couldn't move. What would she say? Would she freak out? Get angry? Or would she simply be happy to know the real reason he was injured so often while on "exercises" in a "research facility?" Adrenaline pumped through his system, his every sense becoming sharper. Not unlike the start of a mission, he thought wryly. And it was time to get out of the truck and into the house before Faith started to wonder what was wrong.

"Hey, grumpy," Faith said, meeting him at the doorway with a smile. "I was starting to wonder if you'd decided to stay out there all night." Her tone was teasing, but he saw the wariness in her eyes. Her body wasn't stiff, not precisely, more like braced for a blow.

Her conditioned response almost had him spilling everything right then and there. But his entryway was not the place to have this particular conversation. Instead, he smiled, one hand slipping behind her slender neck to draw her closer. Her lips were soft against his, soft and warm and just the tiniest bit hesitant. That hesitancy knifed through his gut and he curled his fingers deeper into her hair. What he wouldn't give to be able to just take her up to the roof and let it all out up there, where so many of their most intimate conversations had taken place. But he simply couldn't predict her reaction to the story he had to tell, not with so many unknown variables. She could take it all in stride, the slayer merely absorbing the Goa'uld into the fabric of her reality and moving on. Or she might need to shout and question and yell at him for putting himself in such insanely dangerous situations. The roof, or anywhere in the neighborhood for that matter, couldn't afford her the privacy he needed to give her. "Come out with me for a drive."

Damned if she didn't flinch. She recovered lightning quick, but he saw it anyway. "You're breaking up with me."

"No." It left his lips before she'd finished speaking. Pulling her completely into his arms, he molded her small frame against him, cuddling her tight. "No, baby. That is not even a blip on the radar." He tugged her head back just enough to look her dead in the eyes. "I love you. Never doubt that. Just come with me." The uncertainty faded from her eyes, her body softening into his. She nodded, her hair sliding over his fingers tangled in the heavy mass. "Grab a jacket. It'll probably be pretty chilly before we come back home."

Gamely, she stepped over to the closet for the battered leather jacket she'd appropriated about the same time she'd unofficially moved into the house. "Just where are you taking me?"

"It's a surprise."

Faith didn't reply, just followed him down the walk and into the truck. He reached for her hand as soon as they were moving, the familiar gesture calming him slightly. She seemed to understand his need to wait to speak and simply held his hand. When he killed the engine in the parking area of the Garden of the Gods, she raised her eyebrows but didn't comment. Jack's gut tightened once again as he led her toward one of the trailheads they'd hiked before. He'd checked on the drive and no one appeared to have followed them, but he wasn't going to take any chances until they were far down the trail.

Yet even with the tension clawing its way up his back to the base of his neck, he couldn't help being content that Faith was beside him, her hand comfortably warming his. Roughly a mile up the trail, he stopped, giving the woods and rocks around them a careful scan. Knowing her ears were even better than his, Jack gestured to the trees with a quick jerk of his head. "Any one around?"

Faith's eyes narrowed briefly as they focused on his serious expression, then went slightly blank as she opened her senses. Even though he'd seen it before, he still felt a jolt inside at being allowed to witness her use her slayer senses. "Nothing that doesn't belong," she said after almost a full minute. "Jack, what's this about?"

He felt his lips twitch up at the corners at her impatient question. Honestly, he was surprised she'd held off this long. "You know how I could never talk about my job, what I do in the Mountain."

"Yeah and I've never pressed." She gave him a sharp look that didn't quite hide the worry deep within her eyes. "Even when you've disappeared without warning for days on end or came home with some unexplainable injury."

"And, baby, you have no idea how much that's bothered me." He couldn't help it. Taking the three steps to her, he kissed her forehead, her cheeks, then finally her lips. "Your clearance was approved. You're now officially a hand-to-hand combat instructor attached to the project. No more training only on the upper levels for you. No more restricted access."

It wasn't everyday Jack got to see Faith knocked into incoherence. "What? Clearance? But I thought... What?"

He kissed her once again, briefly, stupidly pleased by her reaction. "You already had the trainer position, but not access to the necessity for it. I wanted you to have that. I didn't want to have to lie to you anymore." Watching her expression carefully, he saw nothing to indicate anger, just a stunned curiosity. "You've already figured out my real job is a lot more dangerous than sitting behind a desk running simulations. If something happens to me I want you to know the truth, not the official line."

"So the job was your in to get me a clearance." Not two seconds after the words left her mouth, a shiver worked through her into Jack's hands on her shoulders until her face hardened and her muscles tightened into stone. "They investigated me." It wasn't a question. "My friends, Sunnydale, L.A. How far did they dig?"

"They're safe," he said quickly, not letting her back away from him. Rather, he acknowledged silently, she let him keep her in place. She could be gone faster than he could blink and they both knew it. "I didn't tell Hammond anything about them, Buffy, the slayers or any of that." Jack smiled, a bitter twist of his lips. "Let's just say the President owes me a few."

Faith relaxed, not fully, but enough to feel like flesh under his hands instead of stone. Her eyes softened as she looked up into his. "You called in a favor from the President of the United States for me?"

"Well, I didn't actually call him. I'm pretty sure Gen. Hammond did, but I guess it's all the same." He let the joke lighten her eyes and soften a bit more of her tension, then let his smile fade into seriousness. "You trusted me with something that has the potential to hurt you, something very personal. How could I not do the same?" When she didn't answer, simply stared up at him, trusting him once again, Jack lifted one hand and ran it through the heavy mass of her hair. "Now pay attention, it's a long story. It started back in 1928 at an archeological dig in Giza, Egypt, ….

* * *

Almost an hour later, Faith found herself sitting on the forest floor, her back against a slightly damp tree. "Holy crap." It was the only thing her incredulous brain could manage to get through the shock caused by Jack's revelations. Parasitic aliens? A gateway to other worlds inhabited by humans plus? And Jack had been a part of it all as far back as their first meeting? She knew it was going to take her a while to process it all. Vampires were one thing. Aliens? Nope, completely in their own category.

Or were they?

Is any of this really more fantastic than vampires who explode in a cloud of dust or teenage girls with superpowers, the loudly obnoxious voice of her inner self commented dryly. A split second's reflection had her staring up at Jack, head shaking back and forth slightly. "And here I thought I'd led the more interesting life."

"I think we're about tied on the unusual factor."

Patting the leaf-littered ground next to her, she smiled, head tilted to one side as she studied him. "Come here." When he'd settled beside her, she trailed one finger over a rather spectacular patch of scarring on his thigh hidden by his khakis. "So what happened here?" Faith kept her eyes on her hand as she traced the scar pattern she'd long ago memorized.

"Staff blast. A moon named Netu. Nasty little vacation spot created to resemble Hell."

"Sounds charming. And this?" This was a long, thin trail that ran the width of his arm.

"Nine mil. That was one of our guys." One eyebrow quirked up in an expression she'd always thought was disturbingly adorable on him. "Internal political squabbling."

A snort escaped as the image of two useless politicians in suits girl-slapping each other filled her mind. The mild amusement faded however, when her eyes scanned upward to rest on the barely visible line of scarring along the back of his neck. Gently, she shifted until she could touch the warm skin next to it. Recalling his carefully blank tone when he told her of the Goa'uld and how they burrowed into the backs of their hosts' necks to attach themselves to their spines, she held back a flinch. She was as afraid of the question as she was the answer, but she asked anyway. "What about this?"

His jaw tightened briefly, the tendons standing out against his skin. He paled slightly in the late afternoon sun, the shifting shadows of limbs and leaves a ghostly specter over his face. "Hathor happened. She thought I'd make a good underling. It didn't take."

All she could do was trace her fingers over the lightly raised skin and hope he understood what she couldn't say. Both of them had scars, inside and out. Strangely, it was one of the reasons she believed they fit so well together. Because of their pasts, they didn't need to explain every nuance, didn't have to dig into locked away pains for the other person to understand. And that was why she was stunned when Jack continued.

"It hurt. God, it hurt so much. She captured my team, used some cryogenics chamber to make us think eighty years had passed, that everyone we knew was dead. We figured it out, but Hathor was a sadistic bitch and a half. She stuffed me back in that cryo-tube, took that damn snake out of its Jaffa and just laid it on my chest. I swear it was laughing. I know she was."

After the torrent of words, the abrupt silence burned her ears. Jack hadn't moved since he'd started, eyes staring straight ahead. Personal experience told her his brain was back in the chamber, scared, helpless, wishing desperately to be anywhere else, but she didn't interrupt. Faith knew the damage holding everything in could do to the brain and the heart. She also knew Jack well enough to know he'd probably never told anyone what he was revealing to her. Humbled, and just a little frightened by such open vulnerability from him, she kept her hand on his neck, letting the flesh to flesh contact speak for her.

"And then it hurt. First a knife to the base of the skull, like a quick killing blow that never fails, except it did. Now I know the physics involved, the whys and whats. Then I didn't know anything could hurt that bad and not kill you. Before it was even all the way in I could feel it pushing on me, shoving me aside. It was so strong. Too strong. God." With a jerk, his knees came up to support his arms as he ground the heels of his hands into his eyes.

Faith wrapped herself around him, aching inside. "I'm right here, Jack. It didn't win. We're here, together." A shuddering breath escaped him, his face buried in her shoulder. "You're here and it's not." She was only sorry she couldn't promise him it would never happen again. From what he'd told her, the Goa'uld were out there, a distant yet ever-present threat. Until either Jack retired or the Goa'uld managed to get one of their nasty kind into him, the possibility was always going to be hovering over him. It wasn't a feeling, or a thought, she liked, but she had no intention of asking him to leave the program. The Stargate Program had given Jack a new lease on life, had given him something to believe in again. She wouldn't make him choose between her and it. She had enough of her own potentially world ending conflicts and he hadn't once asked her to stop despite knowing the true dangers involved.

She felt his shaking ease, kept her hands running up and down his spine. His hands loosened on her leg and arm where he'd gripped her so tightly she thought she might bruise for a couple of hours. She made a mental note to keep her right thigh out of his sight for the evening. In this instance, what Jack didn't know was better for them both.

"So," he said, voice rough, leaning back just enough to meet her eyes. "You still sure you want this broken, grumpy old man?"

"You just try running away." Kissing him lightly, she pushed down the far too numerous memories of close calls that tried to surface. "I'm younger and faster. You wouldn't get ten feet."

The shadows lightened but didn't disappear. Faith wondered briefly if they ever would. "Then I guess you're stuck with me."

"Why don't we agree to keep each other?

"Now that's something I can do."

She dropped another kiss on his lips then pushed to her feet. "Then why don't we go home? My butt's frozen and I think we could both stand to eat something."

He slipped a hand into her outstretched one and let her tug him to his feet. "Sounds like a plan to me. Will you have time to go in with me tomorrow morning? We have to get you a permanent I.D. and there are about a hundred more pieces of paper for you to sign. And you'll need to look over the full files of the teams you've been training. See who needs additional work."

"Without looking at the files, I'll tell you they all need additional work. Especially if those Jaffa are as nasty as you said." When Jack halted abruptly, her hand nearly tugged out of his hand. "Jack?"

"Teal'c is one of those Jaffa, remember? He's not just a really good fighter." A frown creased his forehead as she stepped back to him. "That's not going to be a problem, is it?"

She'd actually forgotten Teal'c was more than just a slightly strange man with a crazy emblem on his forehead. She waited for anything to change inside her with this new knowledge, waited for the slayer to rise up and demand his blood. After a couple of seconds of nothing, she smiled and shook her head. "Teal'c is a friend. I don't care if he's purple with orange spots. You save his butt, he saves yours. Enough said." She turned to continue down the trail only to be yanked to a stop once again when Jack didn't move. Meeting his steady gaze, her lips tilted up in an expression she'd been told looked like a smile but wasn't. "You know that friend I told you about months ago? The one who kicked my ass when I needed it the most?" When Jack nodded, she felt the smile really form. "He's a vampire. And still one of my closest friends. Think about that one for a second. A slayer and a vampire. Not a pair usually destined for a lasting friendship."

Tugging her closer, he touched his lips to hers, chaste, soft. "I love you, Faith."

"I love you, Jack." She wasn't exactly sure what had prompted the words, but she wasn't about to object to hearing them. And then that part of her she usually kept under tight rein stepped out. "Even if you are a grumpy old man." Before the words had died out in the air she was down the trail, running, her feet light and quick. She heard Jack laugh behind her and ran even faster.

* * *

cont.


	13. Part 13

** See Part 1 for full disclaimers and story details

PART 13 NOTES: A special thanks goes out to sgo for the many wonderful comments throughout the posting of this story. I'm sorry I can't respond personally, but know that each one brings me a smile. This chapter wraps up one plot line before the final push to the end. Enjoy! Many huge thanks go to Lynette, super-powered beta. I just dumped yet another 70,000 word fic on her and she didn't even blink. Her work is never done. Any remaining mistakes are purely mine as I tend to fiddle up until the last possible moment. (g) As always, any and all feedback is appreciated.

* * *

Part Thirteen

* * *

It was all a surreal blur. The descent into the lowest levels of the complex, the even more numerous security and I.D. checks, the deference of all the military personnel, and most of the civilians, that passed her and Jack as they walked side by side. She'd thought she'd seen what Jack's rank meant with her other short forays into his public military world and the upper levels of the Mountain. Now she knew she'd barely scratched the surface.

They stood in what Jack called the briefing room, a ginormous table at their backs, a full wall of windows in front. Below them stood the reason for her mental meanderings, the reason she had Jack's hand clenched tightly in hers-the activated Stargate. As she watched, four men and one woman stepped from its watery, rippling surface, their boots sending a jarring clang of noise into the room above.

"Holy crap," she whispered, watching the waiting personnel in the large room divest the five newcomers of their packs and weapons. "You do this every day."

He must have heard the shock in her voice since she couldn't look away from the scene below long enough to make eye contact with him. "Not every day, but close enough to count, I guess."

"It's really real."

"It's really real," Jack repeated quietly, squeezing her hand. "What do you say we meet with Gen. Hammond and get your I.D. started? We do actually have to work today. It's not all fun and pretty lights."

Of that she had no doubts. Jack had enough scars for five people and she'd seen some of them in their earliest stages in just the time she'd know him. Games it certainly wasn't.

"Faith," Hammond greeted her as they entered his office, coming to his feet. "It's good to see you again."

Accepting his outstretched hand, she smiled. She'd liked the older man from the first moment she'd met him. "I take it I have you to thank for my new clearance." She ignored Jack's muffled groan and held her smile. She knew how hierarchies worked, having been a pawn of the Council for far too many years.

"Not exactly. I just forwarded the request."

Not believing the line any more than it had been meant, Faith sat where Hammond indicated with an outstretched hand. "Well, I thank you all the same. Knowing the truth means more to me than I can ever say."

Hammond glanced at Jack briefly before focusing on her again. "Now that you are here officially, I fully intend to take advantage of those skills I witnessed a couple of months ago. Col. O'Neill tells me you're ready to start a full rotation immediately."

"Yes, sir. My hours have already been shortened at the gym since I started working in the upper levels part time. They know I'll be leaving them sometime soon." She glanced over at Jack quickly then focused back on the general. "I just need to let them know how soon."

"Personally, I'd like you here full time starting today, but we can ease the transition a little. See if two weeks will work for them. I'll try to be patient." He smiled broadly, his face transformed by the expression. "Teal'c is off world often and I have a team of marines who need reminding not to judge an opponent by appearances."

"Trust me, General. They'll never know what hit them."

A momentary sense of sympathy filled Jack, but it didn't last long. He'd taken enough crap from all of the teams over the years to be entitled to a tiny bit of revenge. He doubted he'd hear any cracks about SG-1 and Unas traps in the near future.

Hammond had continued while he'd been lost in pleasant thoughts of bruised egos and bodies. "Read and sign these forms here and here," he said pointing to the appropriate blocks, "initial here and then Col. O'Neill can take you up to the security office and have your badge made."

"Am I scheduled for my first session already?" Faith's tone was perfectly matter of fact as she scanned the last of the nondisclosure agreements before signing.

Sliding another sheet across the large desk, Hammond didn't bother holding back a grin. "Next week. No doubt you'll have a few rubberneckers for a while. If anyone gets out of line just let me know."

"That won't be a problem, sir."

Jack smiled to himself at her automatic use of the honorific. He didn't know if she'd picked it up from his team or if the general reminded her of someone from her other life. One day he might ask.

Hammond's smile widened the tiniest bit. "No, somehow I don't think so." He accepted the forms back, tucked them into a folder then handed the entire packet to Jack. "Go get this woman's picture taken."

"Yes, sir. Thank you." They both knew what he was grateful for. Faith would never know just what weight Hammond had had to hurl around to get her clearance pushed through. Her conviction had been only one of the barriers they'd had to overcome. Jack had no doubt that George Hammond had personally seen this one through every step of the way.

It was but the work of a few minutes to ride up to badging, get her picture taken and wait for the machine to spit out a card proving she was authorized unaccompanied access to the Stargate Project. As he took her down the corridor to the access office, he caught her running her fingers over the card and glancing down at it more often than where she was walking. "It won't disappear, you know," he said quietly, giving her a smile.

"I know. It's stupid, but this little piece of plastic suddenly makes it all seems real. Aliens among us real." Her expression told him she was laughing at herself. "I guess the Stargate itself wasn't enough for a cynic like me."

He wanted to laugh, but didn't think she was intentionally making a funny. If she was calling herself a cynic, what category did that place him in? "Believe it or not, I know exactly what you mean. They'd told me I was going to walk through that 'gate and onto another planet. Until I was actually on Abydos, breathing in sand, I kept thinking someone was going to jump up and shout it was all a big joke." Pausing at the door, he rubbed one hand over her shoulder and down her arm. "You'll get used to it after the first three or four visitors come through." He placed no particular emphasis on the words, but he saw her eyes widen just a little as his possible meanings sank in. "Don't worry about any of that right now. Just concentrate on the marines you'll get to pound into little pulpy pieces. Take your cynicism out on them. Masochistic freaks will probably enjoy it."

When she chuckled at the mumbled comment and stepped into the access control office ahead of him, he grinned broadly. Mission accomplished, he thought and followed her in. The sergeant on duty was eager, chatty and more than willing to guide Faith through the reams of paperwork to read, initial, sign and stamp. Jack had never seen Sgt. Rickhoff before and he doubted the young man knew who Faith was in relation to the colonel escorting her. At least he hoped he didn't as Rickhoff attempted to flirt with his fiancee in a not entirely subtle manner. He kept his grin in check as Faith either ignored or was completely oblivious to the sergeant's charms. By the time Rickhoff took one final scan of her index finger and had her create a personalized duress code to use in case of emergencies, he'd given up trying and was down to polite and professional. Jack had no intention of calling him on it. He'd gotten a kick out of watching the show. Hell, he probably would have done the same thing in Rickhoff's shoes in his younger, single years.

"So, where to now?" She held up a forestalling hand as Jack shut the door behind them. "And please God do not tell me it's to read more paperwork about non-disclosure. I get it already. I'm very good at keeping secrets."

He kissed her frowning, crinkled up nose and got swatted for his efforts, which only made him want to do it again. So he did. The second swat wasn't quite so easy to ignore, but he manned up and didn't let the wince show. "Nope. Now I have one more thing to show you, then it's lunch. And yes, I can hear your stomach talking to me from here."

"It's not my fault I have a fast metabolism. You were warned in the beginning." She was irresistible when she teased him. He knew he would never tire of it.

"And so I was. It's a good thing I have a sizable paycheck to keep you in food." Chuckling when she pushed lightly against his arm in retaliation, he shrugged. "Can't argue with the truth, right?" He ignored her glare, knowing she was enjoying the easy moment as much as he was. He couldn't remember the last time he'd felt so comfortable, relaxed even, within the corridors of the SGC. As soon as the thought floated through his brain he knew he was wrong. He could remember the last time. He just didn't want to remember why those feelings had come to an end. Cutting off those thoughts before they could blacken his mood, he guided Faith to a door just three down from his office and held out a key. "If you would care to do the honors?"

"Honors for what?" It took a long moment to sink in, but Jack saw the instant it did. Her eyes widened, face staining a pale pink and her lips curved up into the sweetly surprised smile he loved to see. "You mean it's mine? For me, I mean?"

"Yep. Your very own office." She had the key out of his hand and into the tumbler before he was even finished. Flinging the door open, she stared inside at the small but functional office, her eyes jumping around to take everything in.

"I'm sorry it's just a regular office. We don't have much of anything else down here-"

He couldn't get any farther when she whirled and wrapped her arms tightly around him, cutting off his ability to speak. "Thank you. I love it," she whispered barely loud enough for him to hear. She didn't give him time to respond, just gave another of those almost too quick to see movements and entered her new working space.

Pausing inside the doorway, he watched her trail a finger over the desk, the keyboard, the back of the chair, marking it as her own. Something about her actions clicked the switch in his head, making it all real. She'd said holding the ID in her hand had been her moment. This was his. Watching his soon-to-be-wife connect with her own space in the Mountain, he knew it wasn't a far off wish anymore. "You may be cursing me in a month. Hammond is nothing less than brutal about reports. And he'll expect them on each team on a regular basis."

"I don't mind hard work," she said, flashing a grin at him. "But this is more like fun for me."

"Don't say I didn't warn you." He eased the door shut, fully intending to break his unwritten rule only this once, on Faith's first day. Moving around the small desk, he slid his arms around her waist, tugging her close. "I'm going to like this place a whole lot more knowing you're down here with me."

Her grin sparkled in her eyes, hinting at dimples at the corners of her mouth it was so wide. Arms snaking over his shoulders, she stared up into his eyes and said sweetly, "Only until SG-1 gets their turn in the rotation."

"Brat." He stole her giggle with a kiss, the heat of her pressed against him sinking into his core. He hadn't thought it was possible to find someone who could make him feel so much. With all the mistakes he'd made in his life, both personally and professionally, Faith was like a gift from God Himself, one he'd never had the temerity to ask for. But he was eternally grateful she'd walked back into his life and hadn't let him walk away. "Now we can eat. Unless you want to play with your new toys some more."

She pretended to think about it briefly, fingers tapping a curious rhythm on his neck. "Nah. I'd rather do it on a full stomach. Technology and people like me aren't really on first name basis. It's guaranteed to shut down on me."

After kissing her one last time, he let her ease back. "I'll keep that in mind the next time the system crashes. Carter may not have to look very far." He could feel her tongue sticking out at him even without looking. Opening the door with a flourish, he waved her ahead. "But I'll put in a good word for you. Maybe she won't lecture you for an hour on the importance of maintaining system integrity."

"Thank God. I'd never stay awake that long."

"It'll only be half an hour."

This time the shove wasn't gentle.

* * *

cont.


	14. Part 14

** See Part 1 for full disclaimers and story details

PART 14 NOTES: And now the part you've all been waiting for. Well, one of them at least. I hope it reads true after all that's happened to them in the past few months. Enjoy! Many huge thanks go to Lynette, super-powered beta. Her work is never done. Any remaining mistakes are purely mine as I tend to fiddle up until the last possible moment. (g) As always, any and all feedback is appreciated.

* * *

Part Fourteen

* * *

Wiping her face off with a towel, Faith let her body sink onto the chair with a thump. For a regular, every day kind of human, Sam Carter was hell in the training room. Then again, labeling her friend as regular or every day was a disservice of the grossest kind.

The past two months had been a never-ending series of new experiences for Faith. Sam had become her closest friend in the Springs, allowing her to just be a woman in love and excited for her upcoming wedding, even though the actual date was still in a state of flux. Teal'c had shown her she didn't always have to win and could still maintain her reputation as a bad ass. And in the past two weeks Gen. Hammond had silently shown her that while command was an awesome responsibility, it didn't mean a leader had to be a tyrant.

That was the lesson that was the hardest to swallow. Even after all of the years with Buffy and the Scoobies, Faith still found it hard to delegate and trust things would get done to her standard. Up until her little trip into the future and subsequent relocation, she never would have imagined herself as happy without some kind of life threatening situation to keep her occupied.

And that's what Jack had taught her. His zest for life and his enjoyment in the little things most people didn't bother to think about had forced her to take a long look at her own life and what mattered to her. In the end it had all come down to two basic ideas-if Jack was happy she was happy and when something went wonky down in Jack's underground mountain it was time for her to get out on the street and stop the mess before it started.

Which all led her back to the woman guzzling down a liter of water without a break. Sam was confident, nice and in no way intimidated by Faith's relationship with her superior. Jack hadn't said anything, no doubt wanting to stay as far away from the potential blast zone as possible, but Faith could tell he was pleased with their growing friendship. Faith got the feeling Sam didn't have very many female friends. She was honored to be counted among them. "You've been favoring your right side all day. Anything you want to tell me?"

"Just a little mishap," Sam said, dropping the water bottle to her side. "I zigged when I should have zagged."

Right. Code words for let's not upset Faith with the pesky details. Just like Jack had mysteriously ended up with angry bruises along his spine last month. But she didn't press. Jack told her the most important pieces of information and left out what he considered negligible. She got what she needed to know from Doc Fraiser, all of those pesky details like exactly how many ribs he'd cracked. Once Janet had figured out she had a willing accomplice in keeping Jack in line during recovery she'd jumped on it. Faith saw no need to inform Jack of her source. A little mystery was good for a relationship.

Sam sank into a stretch, arms dangling down to her toes, her long legs sheened with sweat. Groaning slightly, she pushed the stretch a little more and flattened her hands on the ground. Faith followed suit, breathing through her mouth to ease into the position. "So how bad is it with Daniel? Really?" And had the continuing strain between the two men had anything to do with cracked ribs and favored right sides? She hadn't given it permission to come out, but there it was. She'd been thinking about it for weeks now. Jack wouldn't even say the other man's name and Faith had no intention of bringing him up, at least with him. She knew Jack was too much a professional to purposely let their argument get in the way of SG-1's effectiveness. But she'd been around enough strife within the Scoobies over the years to know that all ropes snapped eventually.

Coming up with a jerk that would probably hurt later, Sam's face told her everything before she even opened her mouth. "It's bad, Faith. The colonel only talks to him in relation to a mission and even then it's like he's talking to a recruit. Not harsh, just orders."

If the other woman had issues with talking about her friends she didn't show it. "And Daniel? How's he reacting?" Faith was trying to care, but it was falling short of actual feeling.

"Not well. He's been trying. I mean really trying to get the colonel to listen to him, but he just shuts Daniel down. It's like he doesn't even exist at that moment." Her gaze held Faith's, the blue dimmed not only with fatigue but with the turmoil breaking apart her team. "It can't go on like this, Faith. The team functions, but it can't last. Not like this. Someone's going to get hurt."

Someone already had. Two someones, in fact. She stopped her tongue on the question before it got anywhere close to getting out. She'd seen enough of Jack's injuries to know all was not safe buried hundreds of feet underneath a mountain. "I take it Teal'c hasn't had any luck either?"

"He's staying out of it." Gripping her towel in both hands, it looked more like she was going to use it on someone else rather than on her own skin. "He said his piece when it first all blew up and then shut up. But it bothers him a lot. I can see it."

"Yeah," she said, rubbing one hand over her forehead. "Yeah, I get it." There was little else to say. Jack wouldn't budge. Faith knew that without a doubt. She wasn't going to even broach it with him. But there was someone she could talk with, someone she could force into compliance. As much as she didn't like the idea of going to Daniel, of asking for his help after he'd hurt her and Jack so badly, she knew it would be worse if the rift wasn't fixed. Jack was hurting, no matter how much he denied it. She looked up, met Sam's worried eyes once again.

Daniel had broken it, he could damn well fix it. Whether he liked it or not.

* * *

The drive wasn't half as long as she thought it would be and yet was still one of the longest she'd ever taken. Jack had left that morning to prepare for an early afternoon meeting with Gen. Hammond, grumbling the whole time he dressed about the evils of working on a Saturday. She'd shown him little sympathy and practically shoved him out the door with a kiss and a travel mug of coffee. It was the first opportunity she'd found Jack would be occupied and Daniel wasn't scheduled to be in the Mountain. That fact didn't guarantee the man would be at home, but she was willing to chance it without a call ahead. Faith didn't want to give him the time to pull a runner. She and Daniel hadn't been in the same space alone since that day at the house. It hadn't been a conscious decision on her part, but it had happened all the same. There was only one possible thing that could have sent her willingly to his door and, unfortunately, it was happening.

She hadn't asked for the specifics and she really didn't care to know them. All she cared about was that Jack was hurting and Daniel had better bust his ass to fix it.

She didn't let herself hesitate. As soon as she was close enough to reach, Faith rapped the door three times, hard. If she waited, she'd rabbit and she knew it. This was the last place she wanted to be, but exactly where she was needed. She forced her breathing to stay calm, her heartbeat to slow and her hands to relax. If she started off pissed this whole endeavor was over before it began.

The door opened with a click of locks and then Daniel's surprised face was staring down at her. "Faith."

Well, duh. She kept her trap shut on the sarcasm. "We need to talk."

"I know," he said, pulling the door open to its widest point. "Come on in."

The place had changed little since the last time she'd been there almost four months ago. The books laid out on the dining table were different and there was a new plant in the corner near the sliding glass doors leading to the balcony. His apartment was just as sparsely furnished as before and the stray thought floated through her mind that his office within the SGC had more of the feel of a home than where he slept at night. She forced the distracting thought away with a frown and stopped near the square coffee table. Taking a deep breath, she turned to face him. Daniel stood with his hands in his pockets, his shoulders slightly hunched. He looked uncomfortable and Faith had to own that the idea wasn't an unpleasant one. He also looked tired. There were purple circles under his eyes and deep lines were carved into the sides of his mouth. A spurt of sympathy filled her chest and she shoved it down ruthlessly before it could take root. She wasn't there to make him feel better. She was there to fix the mess he'd made.

Holding his solemn gaze, Faith wondered briefly if she'd be able to hold her temper. She doubted it, but this wasn't about her anyway. "Why?" There was no need to say more. Faith's lowered opinion of him raised a notch when he didn't prevaricate and pretend he didn't know what she was talking about.

"Because he's my friend and I care about him."

"Therefore I can't."

"That's not what it was about. Faith-"

"Daniel," she interrupted in a matching oh-so-reasonable tone and simply stared at him when he squirmed just a little. She stomped the smirk down before it could surface. Again, it wasn't the time or place for her usual smart ass responses.

"Faith, you have to understand how unusual this is, you are for Jack We didn't know anything about you. You appeared out of nowhere, the next thing we knew you were practically living with him. In all honesty, what were we supposed to think?"

"You were supposed to support your friend. Trust him to use his brain and his instincts. You were supposed to be happy for him, not rip him apart." He flinched back at her quiet words, but she wasn't finished yet. "Well, it's time to get off your ass. You wrecked it, now you're going to fix it."

He regained the step he'd lost, his hands coming free of the pockets. "Don't you think I've tried? He won't talk to me. Unless it's about the mission it's like I don't even exist."

"Then you're not trying hard enough." And there was the anger. She was almost surprised it'd taken this long to show up. "Lock him in a damned room, chain him down, hell, get Teal'c to sit on him. I don't care. You will fix this. Now."

"What if it's too late? What if he doesn't want it fixed?" Daniel asked, expression open and honestly scared.

The thought had crossed her mind as well, but she'd discarded it. She knew Jack. Things he didn't care about were subjects for his sharp witted humor to hone itself on, to laugh about, to bitch about. His old friend Daniel? A topic not brought up once between them. She sighed, her hands relaxing just a little. "If he didn't care then he'd be fine, but he's not. You really hurt him, Daniel."

"I know. And I wish I could take it back. I just didn't want him to get hurt."

Despite herself, she felt a softening in her chest. Daniel had hurt her as well, but he'd done it all out of a misguided sense of over-protectiveness, out of love. Of all the things he could have done, trying to save his best friend from what he saw as inevitable heartache was one of the least offenses on the list. Highly inappropriate? Without a doubt. Could he have approached it in a better manner? Just maybe. But Faith had to acknowledge, way deep down where she'd never have to own up to aloud, that he'd done it all because of their friendship. And she really did understand the lengths a true friend would go to in order to save another. Now it was time for a second giant leap. "Jack and I are getting married in two weeks. He will regret it if you aren't there, no matter what he says. Fix it before the rehearsal."

His chuckle wasn't an amused one. "Any ideas you want to share? I really have tried talking to him, numerous times in different settings. He just walks away or tunes me out."

"My methods would end up with you bloody and broken on the ground. You may want to steer clear of any physical confrontations."

"That was never an option." If she didn't know better she'd have sworn he shuddered, a full body tremor down to his Doc Martins. "Evidence to the contrary, I'm not a complete moron."

She bit her tongue, literally, to stop the instant reply. There was no need to shove his face in it any more than she already was. The scars were still too new between them for that kind of response. "I don't know, Daniel. Get him in his office and lock the door." She paused, carefully considering her next words. Every option sounded equally bad so she went with straight and honest. It had served her well in the past. "Then you might want to start by apologizing for what you said to him during the whole Reese mess."

He didn't wince at the shot, but his eyes fell closed and he drew in a deep breath. She could actually feel the agony radiating off the man. "God, how did it get to this point, Faith? When did it turn? We save each other's lives on a regular basis out there. Here we can't even be in the same room together without lighting into one another."

He looked miserable, heart sore and exhausted. Even her hardened shell couldn't withstand it. Without permission, her mind found the parallels. She and Buffy had been close, as close as nearly dying together almost every day could bring two people. And still everything had turned on them. A misunderstanding here. A moment of weakness there. A manipulative bastard whispering just the right words in a vulnerable ear. Yeah, it was far too easy to see it all from this distance. "When you're that close to someone it's too easy to only see the bad, to forget why you were drawn to the other in the first place."

"And how do we go back? How do we erase it all and start over?" he asked quietly, eyes searching hers for absolute answers she didn't have.

But what she did have she gave him. "You can't go back. You can't erase it and you can never start over." She continued before he could voice the argument she saw forming in his eyes. "You can only acknowledge the choices, accept the anger and move on. And force the stubborn blockhead to listen to you. Repetition trumps anger. Eventually." It had taken losing a city, almost dying together-again-and actually losing too many of their friends for her and Buffy to truly become friends again. And even then it had taken months of small, careful steps to rebuild their partnership. Faith had no words to express how much it meant to her that Buffy hadn't just written her off. The other woman had had more than reason enough. It was why Faith knew Buffy was the better person. "You just have to be the more stubborn."

"So just shout him down?" He didn't seem to believe it could be that easy, but strangely she didn't mind. He'd think about it after she left. Not merely think, but plan, do.

"Keep talking until he has no choice but to listen to you. It's easier if he can't run."

His mouth opened, snapped shut as he apparently changed his mind as he held her gaze, his eyes dark and troubled. She held her silence, letting him work his way through whatever thought had him stumped. It didn't happen often, from what she'd seen and heard from all of Jack's stories. She almost wished he was there to see it then took it back. Jack didn't need to be here for this.

"Faith, I'm sorry. I'm sorry for assuming you didn't care enough about him. That you'd just hurt him in the end, even if you weren't a spy for the NID."

"Well, I'll bet that hurt." She just got it out around the lump forming in her throat before it stopped her speaking at all for a long moment.

He was already shaking his head. "Not really. You should have heard it long ago. I just never pushed to make it happen."

Nodding, she accepted both the apology and the understanding. She'd come for Jack, only expecting to force a resolution between the two estranged friends. Daniel wanting to make things right between them as well? That was just a nice bonus. Now she had to wait to see if her efforts would pay off. She could only hope he'd quickly turn his not inconsiderable intellect into getting Jack to stand still long enough to listen. They didn't have time to waste.

She shouldn't have worried. Daniel was already thinking, planning. She could almost see his brain working the angles behind the windows of his eyes. The corners of his lips curled upward, not quite a smile, but an expression of thanks and acknowledgment. "Two weeks you said?"

"Twelve days. He needs his best man at the rehearsal." Not waiting to see how he'd respond to the gauntlet she'd tossed at his feet, she turned and strode for the door. She had it open before he managed to find his voice and even then it was a whisper, barely loud enough for her to make out with slayer sensitive ears.

"Thank you, Faith. You won't regret this."

She closed the door quietly, leaning back against it to release a deep breath, a small bit of tension easing from her spine. There. She'd done her part. Now it was up to Daniel to do his. And with luck, Jack would never know she'd been involved.

* * *

cont.


	15. Part 15

** See Part 1 for full disclaimers and story details

PART 15 NOTES: Before anyone starts hurling rotten vegetables my way, yes this part is a touch shorter than the last few. But the final two chapters are longer so you have something to look forward to. Enjoy! Many huge thanks go to Lynette, super-powered beta. Her work is never done. Any remaining mistakes are purely mine as I tend to fiddle up until the last possible moment. (g) As always, any and all feedback is appreciated.

* * *

Part Fifteen

* * *

"What do you mean we can't get out?"

"Exactly what it sounds like. The door won't open. We are stuck in here until I figure out the code."

"Oh, for crying out loud."

Daniel suppressed a wince at the softly spoken words. When Jack stormed and raged he could be talked down. When he got quiet it was time to get worried. Unfortunately, Daniel needed him in a talking mood. "I'll figure it out. I just need a little bit of time. We'll make the check in." Actually, Teal'c and Sam would make the check in for them if he and Jack hadn't hashed everything out by then. When he'd devised the plan it'd seemed like a great idea at the time. The chamber was perfect. Lit by skylights Jack couldn't scale the wall to reach, lockable doors Jack would in no way figure out and, best of all, writing on the walls Daniel had already made heads and tails of from the pictures and video brought back to the SGC from another team's recent mission. It was the perfect, controlled situation to force Jack listen to him. Now if only he could read his friend as easily as the symbols on the walls.

"Carter," Jack barked into his radio, face tight. "It looks like we'll be in here a while. Set up a defense and then see if you can work any magic on your end. I want out of here sooner rather than later."

"Understood, sir."

This time Daniel let the wince out. Jack's pointed attack on his abilities struck far deeper than the man could know. They'd trusted in each other's talents to get them home time and again over the years. The team might have cuts, bruises and the occasional broken limb, but they knew the others would do everything in their power to help. Had Jack lost so much professional belief in him? He'd thought that at least was still present. He glanced up in time to catch Jack's impatiently waving hand. "So go already. Start decoding."

He turned to the wall and chose a section of writing near the door. It was easier than starting another argument. They had enough of them to deal with today. He could talk facing away from Jack just as well as looking at him. Actually, it was probably easier talking to the wall. And you've stalled long enough, Daniel, he told himself. Jack's right. Get to work.

Several minutes passed in uncomfortable silence as he thought through his opening salvo. Try as might, he had yet to come up with one that would work. None seemed to hit the right tone. He would either sound defensive or antagonistic and neither approach was going to work with Jack. So in the end, he went for the biggest, most honest thing he could say. "I apologized to Faith."

He felt Jack turn to stone behind him. "I told you not to bother her."

"It wasn't bothering, Jack. It was the right thing to do. I was wrong and she deserved to hear it from my mouth."

"She deserved to be left the hell alone to live her life without friends assuming she was plotting to stab them in the back."

He flinched at the purposeful stress on 'friends,' but didn't argue it. He deserved that one, as much as it hurt. At least Jack was talking. "You're right. You're right in every way. But SG-1-" his throat closed abruptly on the words and he had to cough it clear. "You guys aren't merely team mates or even good friends. Jack, SG-1 is the only family I have. And I can't even pretend to be reasonable where you're concerned."

"So that's justification enough for what you did?"

"No. There is no justification. All I can do now is make amends. And I want to make amends, Jack." Looking back over his shoulder, he watched his friend's face carefully, neck complaining the tiniest bit about the awkward position. Jack was as closed off as the day Daniel had stupidly stuck his nose in it. When Jack reached for his radio, he turned back to the wall with a sigh. He hadn't thought it was going to be easy.

"Carter. Update."

There was a brief moment of static before her voice came though. "Perimeter is set, sir. No sign of activity."

"Good. Anything on the door?"

Longer silence. "No, sir. There's very little to work with on this side."

"Crap," Jack said, rubbing one hand over his face before keying the mic. "Keep working on it."

Out of the corner of his eye, he watched Jack prowl restlessly around the chamber. Under any other circumstances he'd find humor in the situation. But there was too much riding on the outcome of this attempt. Tracing his fingers along a symbol meaning path, Daniel decided to try to come at the issue sideways, ease into the Faith portion. Jack might be more likely to listen before he realized where Daniel was steering the conversation. "These past few months haven't been the easiest, I know. And a big part of that's been my fault." He felt more than heard Jack's pacing halt. The man was far too silent when he wanted to be. He shook himself and forged on before his brain could get in the way. "Gen. Hammond once told me that I was the conscience of the team. That I provided a needed perspective when dealing with different cultures. And in many ways he's right." Jack bristled behind him and he turned quickly with a raised hand to stop any words from escaping. "But do you know what's more important than conscience? Heart. That's you, Jack. You're the heart of SG-1. And somehow I let myself forget that."

"What's your point, Daniel?" The words were sharp, but he thought he could see a hint of a crack in the wall.

"My point is that the safety of SG-1, of Earth, will always be more important to you than any possible scientific or cultural advancement. You're willing to make the horrible decision to eliminate a threat when others can't or won't." He held his voice carefully, wanting no censure or judgement to filter into it. That wasn't what this was about. Whether he agreed or not with Jack's decisions didn't mean he didn't trust the man to do what he thought was right in the long run. "But, Jack, it's not your orders that make you the leader you are. It's all you. I forgot about that for a while too. I was trying to change you into someone you're not, force you into a mold in my mind."

"Didn't work out too well, did it?"

"No," he answered, expression serious. "It almost cost me a very good friend."

Jack stared across the short distance, face the perfect blank mask Daniel had seen too often in the early moments of their friendship. Daniel could almost see the thoughts moving through his head. They had been at odds before, but never to the extreme of the past few months. He didn't want to be at odds any more. Opposing perspectives were a good thing to have around, but not when they became detrimental to the team. One of them had to bend and Daniel knew it couldn't be Jack. For too many reasons to count, it couldn't be Jack. And still his friend said nothing as their gazes locked.

"Jack, I'm so very sorry about what I said and did after Reese. I didn't understand, couldn't recognize the implications. I was too caught up in the discovery to see the true danger. That's why SG-1 makes such a great team. Between the four of us we can see every angle." Finally, the crack in the wall split, letting a peek of his friend out. "You did what you had to do. Even if I really had talked her down, if you could have heard what we were saying, there was no guarantee she wouldn't have turned on us again. Reese would have had to be deactivated no matter what. The danger of the Replicators being brought back through her would have been catastrophic. I was just too angry to see it and I took it out on you."

One corner of Jack's mouth tilted up slightly. "Well, I'll bet that hurt."

He felt a smile ease over his lips, smoothing the lines from between his eyes. Maybe one day he'd tell Jack his fiancee had use the exact same words, but not now. Not with the hurt still so fresh. He knew it was as close to an apology acceptance as he was going to get and Daniel wasn't about to waste it. "Not as much as you'd think." Hell, it was more pure relief. He was willing to do quite a bit more crawling before being granted absolution. Knowing Jack, he was pretty sure there was still some payback in his future. "So, are we good?"

"Not yet," he said, face and body looser than Daniel had seen them in almost two months. "But it's a start. Can we get out of here now or did Faith tell you to get anything else off of our chests while we're locked up?"

"What? Why'd you think-"

Jack merely raised an eyebrow. "Because I know my fiancee. She's not one to let things fester. I'm surprised it took this long."

"No. No, she's not." His smile broadened, cheeks already protesting the unfamiliar action. "I missed you guys."

"Enough with the sentimentality already. Open the dang door. Teal'c and Carter deserve their ration of the shouting as well. Using a mission as a personal tool. What the hell were you people thinking?"

The emerging twinkle in his brown eyes took the sting out of the words. Daniel turned back to the wall and pressed a series of four symbols. Each lit with a soft green glow then flashed white once all together. The door slid open with a light showering of dust. "I'm ready when you are."

* * *

cont.


	16. Part 16

** See Part 1 for full disclaimers and story details

PART 16 NOTES: So now we've come to the penultimate chapter. I hope it doesn't disappoint. Enjoy! Many huge thanks go to Lynette, super-powered beta. Her work is never done. Any remaining mistakes are purely mine as I tend to fiddle up until the last possible moment. (g) As always, any and all feedback is appreciated.

* * *

Part Sixteen

* * *

"Open," Jack called in answer to the knock. He tightened the laces of one boot with a solid yank and glanced up as the door opened. A smile covered his face without thought and he stood, boots comfortably familiar once again. Faith leaned back against the door with her hands tucked into the pockets of her jeans. He thought she was the prettiest thing he'd seen all day. "Hey. Come to walk me out?"

"I thought it'd be the wifely thing to do, Mr. O'Neill."

He met her halfway across the office, bending down to accept her kiss. "It certainly is, Mrs. O'Neill." The short taste wasn't nearly enough, her coconut lip balm flooding him with more than pleasant sense memories. Pulling Faith closer, he met her lips for a far more satisfying exchange. His heart stuttered just a little when her arms came up to encircle his neck. Two weeks away with her on their honeymoon and he was still as hungry for her touch as before they'd left. Hell, the way he felt at the moment he was willing to say it was worse than before. He'd gotten used to being with her and her alone. No demands on either of them, no SGC calling in to interrupt their morning, no vampire gang threatening their little corner of the universe. Just Faith and Jack. Her fingers threading through his short hair sent tingles down his spine to tease at nerve endings. Hauling on years of discipline, he straightened with a groan of regret. "I'm going to be late if we keep this up." He had a feeling his body was communicating loud and clear exactly how much it cared about being late at the moment.

An impish smile curved her full lips up into an invitation he was hard pressed to ignore, but he managed it somehow. "Well, we wouldn't want that on your first mission back. Sets a bad example." She pushed up onto her toes to place a short peck on his lips before slipping from his arms. "Need me to carry anything?"

"Ha, ha, brat. Come on." The tingles returned in a happy spill as she took his hand with a squeeze. Hefting his tac vest with the other hand, he led her out of his office. The corridor echoed with their footsteps as they made their way to the elevators. "So what do you have planned while I'm gone?"

"Oh, I thought I'd call up my biker buddies and throw an all nighter."

"Be sure to take pictures," Jack said, struggling to keep his legendary poker face from slipping. He had no idea where she came up things sometimes. One thing was certain, she always kept him on his toes. The elevator doors slid open in answer to their call and they stepped inside alone, a rare enough occurrence Jack had to wonder if he'd missed a memo or something.

"Seriously, I have progress reports on five teams due at the end of the week. Not my idea of a good time while you're off gallivanting on planet K-whatever it is this week. Yours sounds like more fun. Trade you." She sounded far too hopeful for his sanity. God help them all if Faith was ever needed off planet. Her special set of skills wasn't anything he wanted to need.

He laughed, tugging her just a little closer to him and shrugging off the spine chilling thought. "Trust me, you wouldn't want this one. Watching Carter geek out over some funky new metal and Daniel go into raptures about a new culture just aren't the fun they used to be. Teal'c and I will spend the entire trip twiddling our thumbs and counting down the hours until we get to come home." The doors opened, depositing them into the corridor. "At least you get to beat up on some marines. That's something to look forward to."

"I must admit that never gets old." She grinned up at him and he resisted the urge to tweak her nose. She'd only elbow him in response and he didn't need to start out the mission with new bruises before he'd even left Earth. Turning the corner into the gate room, Faith shifted her smile into a greeting for the other members of SG-1. "You guys take care of him out there. Don't let him get broken this time."

"Hey!" Jack's indignant protest was ignored by everyone. He didn't know whether to smile or be offended when Carter just moved on, speaking right over him.

"We'll bring him back in one piece, Faith. This one is all science."

Daniel tugged at his jacket with one hand and sent what Jack assumed was supposed to be a reassuring smile her way. "The Kelownans actually invited us after Sam got to talking geek with one of their techs. This should be a nice calm one on all angles."

Shaking his head slowly at their less than comforting attempts at reassurance, Jack turned his wife to face him as the Stargate clanked into motion at the top of the metal grated ramp. "Take care of yourself while I'm gone. It might be a couple of days."

"Just come back to me."

There was nothing he could say to alleviate the worry hiding in her eyes other than exactly as she asked. He was going to do his damnedest to do just that. "I'll always come back to you." He kissed her lightly then turned her to face the open blast doors. "Now go. Kick the crap out of some marines for me."

She left the gate room with one last smile and a wave to the others. The Stargate continued the dialing process, uncaring about the human drama happening before it. Jack had the feeling it had seen hundreds of scenes just like the one he'd played out with his wife. "All right, kids. Ready for this?" He purposely ignored the sappy grins covering each one of his team mates' sappy faces. Okay, Teal'c's was more of a slight glimmering in the eyes, but Jack knew it for the expression it was. He'd have plenty of time to plot payback during the interminable hours of geek talk. The wormhole splashed outward with its familiar whoosh of sound, the push of wind slapping him in the face and disrupting his pleasant thoughts.

"Good luck, SG-1." Hammond's voice was slightly tinny through the comms but unmistakable.

Jack turned to throw his customary salute at his commander and friend and caught a glimpse of Faith standing toward the rear of the control room. She was carefully out of the way of the action, yet Jack had the impression she was holding herself very tightly under control. He threw a wink her direction then turned and joined SG-1 on the ramp. "To Kelowna we go."

* * *

It wasn't an emergency activation. There wasn't a call for medical personnel needed at the gate room. It was just a klaxon blaring in the complex as it had done no less than a dozen times since Jack had left. Even without the normal clues, Faith knew something was wrong anyway. SG-1 wasn't due for at least another day yet she left SG-12 on the mats with only a cursory word to keep working.

SG-1 was coming home and all was not well.

She'd had premonitions before, the slayer warning her of danger or momentous things about to happen. They always sucked and had a nasty tendency to wind up with her in a life or death situation. She'd experienced dreams, visions, hell, once she'd even heard voices while completely alone and it hadn't been the radio. Each occasion had heralded some big bad lurking on the sidelines just waiting to make a name for itself. The feeling crawling over her skin, chasing her blindly through the corridors of the SGC, had no big bad attached to it. This wasn't an end of the world situation, at least not like what slayers were used to dealing with. She didn't question how she knew. She just did. She also knew she never wanted to feel its like again.

Turning the corner at a walk that could have easily been called a run, she stumbled to a halt as her eyes caught up. Jack was there, whole, perfect and not appearing to be injured in any way. Teal'c and Sam also seemed fine, if one ignored their expressions. Her eyes swung to Daniel, gut tensing as the phantom sensation gripped her in a stranglehold. He moved as if in slow motion, frantically warding off a medic's reaching hands as if he were carrying a communicable disease.

Her pounding pulse blocked everything after 'radiation.' Oh, God. She knew two things about radiation-stay away from it and it was deadly even to a slayer. That was all she'd ever needed to know. Slayers didn't deal with nuclear anything. Apparently the Kelownans did.

Before she knew it she was down the corridor and arm's reach from her husband. She never got as far as forming words. She was just there, wrapped in his arms, held tight to his chest. Jack trembled against her, a fine invisible shake that belied the calmly pissed mask he wore. It could have been hours or seconds before his arms loosened enough for her to look up at him. She clung to him for a moment longer, guilt and relief vying for dominance within her chest. "How bad is it?"

His involuntary flinch told her everything his words wouldn't. "We don't know yet. Fraiser will need to run tests, check the levels."

"Okay." She didn't ask what happened, didn't need to know. Jack was hanging on by a thread and only one thing could put that look in his eyes. Glancing around she caught Teal'c's gaze without thought. The resignation she found there only served to underline what Jack seemed to already know but didn't want to acknowledge. Daniel was the walking dead. The only question was what they could do for him in his time left. "You can't do anything while she's with him, right?" She waited for his nod, then placed her hand on his chest, over his heart where she could feel each heavy thud reverberate up her arm. "Then why don't you get your briefing with Gen. Hammond done so you can get cleaned up and back here. Janet may have some answers by then."

It was a testament to his own shock when he made only a token protest before giving in. He said nothing on the walk as Sam and Teal'c trailed silently behind them. She squeezed his hand once more then let him enter the general's office alone. It must have been her overactive imagination that made the click of the latch an ominous one.

"Thanks."

Sam's quiet voice drew her around, away from the door. "For what? I didn't do anything useful."

"You did what we could not, Faith O'Neill. I would call that very useful."

"But it's not going to help Daniel. Nothing is, right?"

"I don't think so," Sam said, pushing a shaking hand through her hair. Faith had never seen the unflappable woman so, well, flapped out. "I think he took over eight sieverts of direct contact radiation."

It was all jibberish to her. But she knew bad when it smacked her in the face. "What's the lethal range?"

"Four."

There was nothing to say to that. Her eyes closed slowly, hands clenching into fists. Damn the Powers and their selective asses. Hadn't Jack been through enough? Hadn't they promised her it was supposed to be better? Her eyes flew open, heart jumping into a pounding rhythm she could hear in her ears. How could Daniel die from exposure to radiation when she was going to see him in two and some odd years? Even for the Powers it was wildly inconsistent.

"What is it?" Teal'c asked, tone suggesting he wanted to have hope but wasn't ready to give it wings yet.

"Nothing. At least nothing yet." She looked to the closed door, instinct warring with need. "I have to make a call. From the surface."

Sam must have felt her sudden agitation. "Go. We'll meet you at the infirmary."

She sent one more look toward the door, wishing she could see through it for just a second, could give back just an ounce of the support he'd given her. But time was working against them. Radiation worked quickly, damaging the body with every second of its eager little half-life. "I'll be right back." And then she was flying.

The trip to the surface was a blur. Sunlight dazzled her eyes and she squinted against the glare to pick out the name she needed on the tiny screen of her cell. "Come on, come on," she muttered, pacing in a tight circle as the ringing echoed in her ear. The shoes she'd hurriedly thrown on when the crawlies had appeared in her gut crunched gravel loudly with each step, counting the seconds she didn't want to hear.

"Hey, Faith. What's up?"

"Willow." For a long moment she couldn't force anything else out. Just the sound of her friend's voice was enough to remind her just how much she had to lose now. "I need your help."

* * *

cont.


	17. Part 17

** See Part 1 for full disclaimers and story details

PART 17 NOTES: And we've come to the end, at least for this particular story. Huge thanks go to everyone who sent feedback throughout its posting, especially the readers I couldn't respond to personally. Be on the lookout for some one-shots in the WFF Universe later this summer as I work on completing a few long overdue fics in other fandoms. If you're "tracking" this story and want to know when they've been posted keep it on. I'll post a sequel alert as I did previously. So until then enjoy the final chapter of "Interference Well Met." Many huge thanks go to Lynette, super-powered beta. Her work is never done. Especially since I've added yet another 20K words to my next story. She's going to kill me one of these days. (veg) Any remaining mistakes are purely mine as I tend to fiddle up until the last possible moment. (g) As always, any and all feedback is appreciated.

* * *

Part Seventeen

* * *

Seven hours later she was still waiting. Daniel was failing, his body giving out all around him. Faith didn't know what she'd expected, but somehow the reality was so much worse. Janet had given them all quiet, straight forward details about radiation poisoning and what it did to the human body. Daniel had been spared none of the symptoms. She hurt for him, for the accelerated breakdown of his cells, but it was her husband she didn't know how to comfort. Daniel at least had the mercy of unconsciousness. She'd been at the deaths of many friends over the years, more than one person should ever have to face in one lifetime. She knew how to handle the quick, bloody kind of loss. What she didn't know how to face was lying motionless in a bed hundreds of feet below her and Jack was suffering for her lack. Shooting another glare at her silent phone, she turned to pace back the way she'd come. A worn trail was beginning to appear from all the time she'd spent on the small patch of ground in front of the exterior access door.

"I heard you wanted to talk."

She nearly dropped her cell he surprised her so badly. "Whistler." Taking one long step back away from him, she trained her glare on him. "Where the hell have you been? A man is dying down there."

If he was afraid she'd deck him like the last time they'd met he didn't show it. He took off the ugly bowler hat that annoyed her to no end, eyes scanning the nearby tree line before returning to hers. "We know."

"We know? We know! You son of a bitch." Every repetition reverberated in her chest, feeding the fear and frustration rooted deep within. The cell groaned as her hand clenched around it. She shoved it into her pocket before she crushed it, her focus never leaving the garishly dressed demon. "Is that all you have to say? We know?"

"We all have choices in life, Faith. Some of them are more desirable than others. Right now, Daniel is facing one of the most difficult ones there is."

"A choice? What choice? He can't choose to stop being killed by radiation. He can't choose for his skin to stop sloughing off. His organs are melting inside him while we watch. As far as I can see he's kind of Webstering choiceless at the moment."

Whistler stepped closer, for once the hat strangely still in his hands. He must have trusted her more than she did herself at the moment to put himself within striking distance. His calmly instructional tone seemed to imply it as well. "It's called ascension, Faith. And it's only offered to a very select few."

The word echoed in her brain, a sudden punch deep inside. "Ascension. Like Wilkins."

"Not so much."

She waited for him to go on, time stretching between them with an elasticity that was going to hurt when it snapped. "What does that mean?" Her chest trembled with each thud of her heart. "Does it mean Daniel can survive?"

"In a way." He held up a hand when her mouth opened with more questions. "True ascension, not just the transformation Wilkins thought it was, is a loss of physical form while the spirit, the soul lives on."

She turned his words over and around in her head for a long minute. At first thought it seemed as if he was telling her Daniel could be saved after all, but she knew it wouldn't be that easy. And even if it was, what would be the cost? There was always a cost. "And where's the bad?" It wasn't really a question. It was too good to not have a chain connected.

He didn't pretend to misunderstand. She told herself she'd be thankful later. "The ascended forfeit all ties to the physical realm. They observe, they learn. They cannot interact or interfere. They ascend to a higher plane of existence." He paused, the hat held like armor before him. She wasn't so sure it wasn't a bad idea at the moment. Whistler had a habit of delivering more bad news than good. "Either way Daniel Jackson is dead to you."

Snap went the band, straight into her chest and she sucked in a breath in a vain attempt to ease the ache. It didn't help. "Some choice." She didn't need a picture book to figure out what Whistler wasn't saying. It was all well and good to think of Daniel living on somewhere, but what about Daniel himself? To move on without his friends, his family? To potentially be forever alone with only a 'higher plane of existence' for company? She didn't know which choice was the worse. At least dead was an ending. "But what about the future? The time I spent with Jack? I saw Daniel, talked with him. Hell, I even touched him. How can he be ascended or dead with that? Huh?"

"The future isn't set in stone, Faith. You're living proof of that. Haven't you already changed the future you experienced?" Her jaw clenched as the truth of his statements sank in, Sharon Montgomery's wispy blonde hair and colorful scarf flashing across her mind. What else had she changed with her decision to open up to Jack about the truth? He eyed her compassionately, face softening into an expression almost like comfort. "All I can say is that even the ascended have choices."

Swiping a hand under her nose quickly, Faith swallowed down the lump in her throat. "What am I supposed to tell Jack?" Her voice broke, stuttering over the name. "What can I tell him?"

"The information you have is your own, Faith. You decide what's the best use of it. Like so many things in life, it's only a tool."

For once the demon's cryptic response didn't piss her off. She hurt too much to feel anything else. Rubbing one shaking hand across her eyes, she let out a breath. "Thank you, Whistler."

But the demon was already gone.

* * *

Faith twisted the key slowly, shutting the big truck off. The sudden quiet was loud in the driveway, the ticking of the engine like a shotgun blast. Jack's door opened a short moment later and she watched him intently as he slid out then carefully closed it. The first rays of sunrise spilled through the trees to light the house and truck in mottled patches, an almost mocking exclamation point to the past twenty-four hours. She knew she should take it as a quiet sign from the Powers, that life went on and they would recover eventually, SG-1, her, Jack. All she could think was that she wished the sun would just stop for a little while, that they could pause life until the hurting started to fade. The lightening sky was cheerful in a way that was almost offensive.

Jack silently rounded the front of the truck, body held carefully upright. He'd said little on the drive home. Actually, he'd said little ever since Daniel had turned into a giant glowing cloud of white-she glanced at the dash clock-seven hours ago. There was something more going on than losing his friend, although God knew that was reason enough for some quiet time. Yet Jack had the look of someone who wanted to say something but didn't know how to start.

She slipped from the cab to walk with him up the drive. His hand in hers was cold, dry, just a little tight. She searched for something to say, anything that could help him start the healing process, but drew a blank every time. Platitudes were useless as well as condescending and there wasn't anything she could do without telling him about Whistler, her trip to the future and Daniel's future sighting. It would be cruel to offer that kind of hope not half a day after his death.

The companionable silence continued up the walkway, over the porch and into the house. When he paused in the middle of the living room, she stopped with him. He was lost in thought, face not quite the blank mask he sometimes wore. It said more about how he was feeling than if he'd raged around the room destroying everything in sight. Jack was angry-at life, fate, the Powers, whatever name people used for the capricious spirits who ruled over circumstances. And he was probably pissed at Daniel as well. The man had had to go and be a hero, getting himself killed in the process. No small amount of guilt there. Faith knew Daniel would never see it that way, nor anyone else who'd heard the situation leading up to Daniel's fatal choice, but Jack had managed to find some way to blame himself. As if he should have been able to stop Daniel from acting. He cared far too much and failed to protect himself time and time again. It was a wonder he'd allowed her in at all.

"He asked me to let him go. To just stop trying to save him."

After Whistler's cursory explanation and what she'd seen today, she didn't ask how he'd spoken with a man whose vocal cords had melted away. She'd experienced harder to believe things in her life. Jack's guilt made a whole lot more sense now. "It was his choice, Jack. You couldn't make it for him." She took a step forward, turning so she could take his other hand as well.

"I could have stopped him. Jacob could have kept him alive. He said as much."

"But at what price? Your friendship? His peace of mind? Jacob also said the damage was too great to heal fully without a sarcophagus. Could Daniel have lived like that? Crippled? In constant pain?"

"At least he'd still be alive."

The words echoed off the ceiling and walls, battering her from multiple angles. She didn't flinch from their intensity. She understood it far more than she wanted to. "It was his choice," she repeated quietly. "And now we have to learn to live with it."

His expression hardened, guilt and anger and sadness flitting back and forth so quickly she had a hard time keeping up. "I don't know if I can forgive him."

And there it was-the real reason for his mixed up emotions. He hadn't needed to finish the sentence for her to figure out the rest of it. 'For giving up.' Jack's creed in life was to never give up, to keep fighting for the ones he loved. To fight a person had to be present. Some part of Jack felt betrayed by Daniel's choice, for leaving them behind, even when the only other option had significant consequences. Could they have gotten a sarcophagus later, been able to heal the damaged tissue after the fact? Faith didn't know, but she was willing to bet Jack would have taken that chance, would have stayed with them despite the abysmal odds. The very personal part of Jack that believed everyone else should have that same fortitude and character was screaming somewhere inside him, begging to be let out. There was nothing she could do to comfort that piece of him. She pushed up to kiss him ever so slightly. "And that's the choice you'll have to live with." She didn't mean it in a judgmental way, just as fact.

Jack pulled her into his arms, body trembling against hers. "I know, baby. I know."

There was nothing else she could say so she held him instead, trying to impart love, understanding and acceptance. No matter his choices, as long as she walked the Earth she would always be there for him.

Quiet enveloped them in a tiny two-person cocoon. Gradually, the trembling stopped but he didn't pull away. "I miss him already."

She tugged him even closer and ran soothing hands through his hair, over his neck and back. She'd stay there as long as he needed, as long as it would take. She wasn't going anywhere.

* * *

End of "Interference Well Met"

Coming soon "Bonus Points"...


End file.
